Neal-Marshall director named by committee

IU has made a significant new hire in the placement of Oyibo Afoaku as the new director of the Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center. Afoaku is leaving her post as the assistant director of the Black Culture Center at the University of Northern Colorado to come to IU and take over a program headed by former director Gwen Paulk, who died last spring. Afoaku will assume her new position in early January.\n"I am excited about joining the IU family in January because it is a great campus with a lot of opportunities for the students, employees, and the community," Afoaku said in a statement. "I am looking forward to working with different peoples, programs, departments, and friends from the community."\nAfoaku will take charge of the new Neal-Marshall Black Cultural Center in early January with three priorities -- to create a friendly and welcoming environment, to be a friend students can trust and effectively build academic, cultural and social program bridges throughout IU.\n"She will have big shoes to fill, in terms of making the center a place where students can feel at home and interact and keep themselves charged up to do the right thing," said Bill Wiggins, acting chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies. "She comes into a rich tradition. I would certainly wish her well and be working with her in any way to make that possible."\nAfoaku, a native of Nigeria, has a master's degree in history and is fluent in the African Language of Igbo.\nJunior Marshawn Wolley, president of the Black Student Union and a member of the selection committee is enthused to have Afoaku as the center's next director. \n"I'm excited about her coming to the University, and I know she will reach out to the community as well as students on campus," she said.\nAssociate Vice Chancellor Gloria Gibson, who chaired the search committee, touted Afoaku's ability to unite the campus and community behind common causes.\n"(Afoaku) brings a dynamic approach to community outreach and partnerships, which we particularly want to expand," Gibson said in a release. "I am confident she will do a great job. She's an excellent collaborator; she seems able to brings groups together."\nAfoaku comes highly regarded from The University of Northern Colorado, where she implemented many major original programs for the students there.\nDuring her five years at the Garvey Center, Afoaku received honors from student, faculty, staff and community groups for a variety of her achievements, including founding the community's Martin Luther King Day celebration and founding a world cultures festival in northern Colorado. Afoaku is listed in "Who's Who of American Women." \nOthers agree with Wolley's and Gibson's strong statements supporting Afoaku's appointment. \nCharlie Nelms, IU's vice president for student development and diversity felt that Afoaku exuded a warm personal energy and had a strong commitment to service and issues.\n"I was impressed that she worked to increase the sense of community among African Americans and Africans," Nelms said. " I met all of the candidates, and I was really impressed with her"