Shawnboda Mead

Vice Chancellor for Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement

• Staff
• Instructor

• Email:

  sdmead@olemiss.edu

• Office Location:

  304 Lyceum

• Phone:

  662-915-2933

Biography

Dr. Shawnboda Mead serves as the Vice Chancellor for Access, Opportunity, and Community Engagement (DAOCE) at the University of Mississippi. In her role, she leads the university’s efforts to expand access to higher education, enhance opportunities through learning and development, and strengthen the sense of community on campus while also promoting engagement with communities across the state and nation. Dr. Mead is committed to how DAOCE programs and services strengthen UM as a welcoming environment where students, faculty, staff, and community members can succeed, expand future opportunities, and maximize their potential.

Dr. Mead brings over 20 years of experience in higher education. She joined UM in 2014 as the inaugural director of the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement. Mead also served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion from 2018 to 2021. Her previous experience includes roles at the University of Tennessee, Western Kentucky University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Texas A&M University. 

Mead holds a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology from Mississippi State University, a master’s in student affairs/higher education administration from Western Kentucky University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from UM. She is actively engaged in regional and national organizations, having served as president of the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) in 2021-22, and is a past recipient of SACSA’s Bobby E. Leach, New Professional, and Mid-Level Professional Awards. In 2022, the Oxford Eagle and Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce named her among 20  young professionals under age 40 recognized for their volunteerism, leadership, and service in the community.

A native of Prentiss, MS, Dr. Mead and her husband, Neal, who serves as Ole Miss Athletics Senior Associate Athletic Director for Facilities, Events, and Capital Projects, are the parents of two young sons.