Walter M. Kimbrough, Ph.D.
Walter M. Kimbrough, Ph.D., is the 12th
president of Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark. He is one of the
youngest college presidents in the nation. Prior to Philander Smith College, he
served in administrative capacities at Albany State University, Old Dominion
University, Georgia State University and Emory University.
Kimbrough earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree in biology from the University of Georgia in 1989, a Master of Science in college student personnel services from Miami University in 1991 and the Doctor of Philosophy in higher education from Georgia State University in 1996.
Kimbrough has maintained active memberships in several higher education organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), Association of Fraternity Advisors (AFA) and Brothers of the Academy. He has served as a reviewer for the NASPA Journal, an associate editor for the College Student Affairs Journal and was a 2001 Senior Scholar for AFA.
Based on a strong fraternity experience, Kimbrough has forged a national reputation as an expert on historically black fraternities and sororities. He has conducted interviews with national publications including The Washington Post and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has also been a guest on the National Public Radio show, “Talk of the Nation.” Kimbrough has given more than 450 presentations on black Greek life at numerous campuses and conferences. He is the author of Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities. After five months, the book was an Essence magazine top 10 best-seller and is currently in its 10th printing.
Kimbrough was the Alpha Phi Alpha College Brother of the Year for the Southern Region during the 1987-88 school year. He was named the 1994 New Professional of the Year for the Association of Fraternity Advisors and the 1998 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Dissertation of the Year runner-up. He was selected as a 2001 Nissan-ETS HBCU Fellow and a 2002 participant in the Millennium Leadership Initiative.
He is a member of the board of directors for the Greater Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Heart of Arkansas United Way. He was named one of the people who made a difference in Arkansas in 2005 by the Arkansas Times, one of the 25 influential African Americans in Arkansas by Powerplay Magazine in 2006 and as one of the 25 to watch by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.