South Carolina State University News March 28, 2015 AABHE elects Fields as Vice President of Programming and President-Elect of the National Board of Directors Dr. M. Evelyn Fields was recently elected vice president for Programming and president-elect to the national board of directors of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education (AABHE). Fields, who is chair of the Department of Teacher Education and a tenured full professor of early childhood education at SC State University, will be installed at the national conference, which will be held in North Charleston, S.C. on April 9-11. Excited about her recent appointment, Fields, who has served on the board for the past five years, said, "There is no greater honor in the academy than to be chosen to serve by your colleagues." While serving on the AABHE board of directors, Fields has served on the program committee, the membership committee and an ad-hoc committee for the budget. She has presented at the national conference for the past four years, attended the association's Leadership and Mentoring Institute and is currently serving as the parliamentarian for the board. "I have found that serving on this board is a rewarding experience. With all of the discussions surrounding the viability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, I believe an organization like AABHE plays a vital role in impacting the outcome," said Fields. The Executive Speaker Series, hosted weekly by the School of Business, presents experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals from a wide variety of industries, who discuss relevant business issues and share professional experience and advice to students. Additionally, Fields serves on the editorial board of the online journal, African-American Learners, and is also a past board member of the National Association of African-American Studies. According to its website, the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education pursues the educational and professional needs of Blacks in higher education with a focus on leadership, access and vital issues impacting students, faculty, staff and administrators. AABHE also facilitates and provides opportunities for collaborating and networking among individuals, institutions, groups and agencies in higher education in the United States and internationally. Prior to serving as the chair of the Department of Teacher Education, Fields served in the capacity as the interim associate provost at SC State. She is the past president of the South Carolina American Association of University Professors and the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children. She has researched, written, presented and published extensively on the topic of academic achievement of African-American children and closing the achievement gap. She earned her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in early childhood education from the University of South Carolina. Fields, also an entrepreneur, owns the Seafood Academy, LLC, a Restaurant & Bar located in Columbia, S.C., where she also resides. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.