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Pamela Gunter-Smith, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor
York PA USA
Get in TouchAs a Senior Advisor in WittKieffer’s Leadership Advisory solution, Pamela Gunter-Smith provides support for college and university presidential transitions, team alignment, presidential thought leadership/mentoring, and board services. Pamela draws upon a wealth of experience as a passionate, prominent educator and administrator.
Pamela served as the fourth president of York College in York, Pennsylvania, for more than 10 years – the first woman and person of color to hold this appointment. During her tenure, academic programs were strengthened through the creation of the college’s five-school structure and online offerings, and by infusing the curriculum with high-impact practices such as project- and community-based learning courses especially through the Center for Community Engagement named in her honor. Her focus on academic entrepreneurship and innovation culminated in the creation of the Graham Center for Collaborative Innovation and the York College Knowledge Park, a learning laboratory to enhance opportunities for students and faculty to interact with local and regional businesses and organizations.
Also at York, Pamela launched the institution’s first comprehensive campaign, EVOLVE: A Campaign for York College, to fund strategic initiatives including support for scholarships to keep a high-quality education accessible for students. EVOLVE closed in December 2022, having surpassed two goals to raise more than $91 million. Other key initiatives included diversifying the college’s board of trustees and revising the board’s bylaws and committee structure; developing a facility and land use master plan and making strategic land acquisitions; and leading the college through two five-year strategic plans.
Earlier in her career, Pamela served as Provost and Academic Vice President at Drew University of Madison, New Jersey, and as Porter Professor of Physiology, Chair of Biology, and Associate Provost for Science and Mathematics at Spelman College in Atlanta. She served as a Research Project Manager at the Armed Forces Radiology Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, from 1981 to 1992. Pamela has published in the areas of gastrointestinal physiology and membrane ion transport and is a recipient of grants to support science education and her research.
Pamela currently serves as President of the William Townsend Porter Foundation, which supports programs that enhance the participation of underresourced and underrepresented populations in the physiological sciences.
Education
Ph.D., Physiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
B.S., Biology, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia