Some people might have seen the new Provost walking around the campus, or maybe she handed someone a bowl of ice cream at the beginning of the year, or she sat down at someone’s lunch table in the cafeteria. Dr. Tynisha D. Willingham, or Ty, as she prefers to be called, is the new Provost on campus, taking over the position from Fred Kniss, who served for 13 years and retired at the end of last year. Willingham is a first-generation college graduate from Penn State University, where she earned  a Bachelor of Science. in Spanish and African-American Studies. Willingham holds a Masters in Education  in elementary education from the University of Texas-Pan American and a Doctorate. in curriculum and instruction from Penn State University. 

Willingham came to EMU because she “was considering an academic leadership role where [she] could leverage [her] commitment to student success as well as for faculty on a campus that had a robust set of academic offerings and active student body.” Willingham said  that additionally, the culture and atmosphere of EMU was appealing: “I have only worked at small liberal arts colleges, but each one is different. They each have an atmosphere to them, and that is because of the students. Students make a college, and every college has different students.” For Willingham, a third pull to EMU is the strong mission and vision that our professors instill in our students. Growing up around Quakers familiarized Willingham with Anabaptism and pacifism; EMU’s pacifist values were yet another reason she chose EMU.

Now that she’s here, Willingham likes to walk around campus and see the students going from class to class. In her last job at Mary Baldwin, her office was at a place where, when she looked out her window, all she saw was the street. But here at EMU, when she looks out of her window, she sees Thomas Plaza and the front lawn, and she sees students running late to their next class. “Just that little change makes me feel like I am closer and more connected with the student body,” Willingham shared. 

In the continued pursuit of these connections, Willingham set up the ice cream social held at the beginning of the year. “I think that we need something to celebrate the start of a new academic year,” Willingham explained.“First-years get all sorts of things to celebrate the start of a new college career, but everyone needs a place to celebrate the new year. We all have new shoes, clothes, and backpacks, so let’s have a place to celebrate the start of the new year with ice cream.” This event fit in well with Willingham’s love of ice cream. Her favorite is Cookies and Cream, but she recently tried Wacky Vanilla on a student suggestion and loved it. Willingham is always looking for fun and must- go- to events at EMU.