Calhoun Concludes Black History Month with Annual Program
February 28, 2022Today, Calhoun Community College hosted Dr. Rolundus Rice, aka “The Dapper Dean”, for its Annual Black History Month Program.
From overcoming tough obstacles in his personal life to his current success, Rice has no ordinary story. The Atlanta, GA native had firsthand experiences with hardships as a troubled youth who spent his elementary years in the behavior and learning disorders programs in the Dekalb County School System in Metropolitan Atlanta. Having made it to high school, Rice continued to give school a chance until he received his cumulative GPA, which was 1.42. That is when he immediately became defeated and decided to drop out of school in the 9th grade.
His story did not end there. Rice became determined to pursue school again and started with obtaining a GED, which he successfully did. Inspired by the power of learning, he enrolled at DeVry University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He also graduated Magna Cum Laude from Alabama State University where he obtained a Master of Arts in History. His collegiate endeavors continued as he obtained the Doctor of Philosophy in History from Auburn University, making him the first GED recipient to earn a Ph.D. in Auburn’s 163-year history.
Rice continued to achieve great milestones in his life, entering into university leadership at the young age of 33. He was appointed Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama, and was recognized as one of the youngest academic deans at an accredited four-year institution in the United States. The “Dapper Dean,” as he was affectionately referred to by his students, was responsible for leading the reorganization of the History, English, Music, Mass Media, and Fine Arts curricula. He was also instrumental in securing a $1.25 million implementation cluster grant from the United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) Career Pathways Initiative to fund projects to increase Talladega College students’ chances of finding meaningful employment upon graduation. Dr. Rice’s subsequent work and experiences at various institutions of higher education include Chief Diversity Officer, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, and Central Region Director of Adult Education.
A thought leader, orator, professor, and university administrator, Rice has used these platforms to inspire thousands of students to earn high school diplomas, baccalaureate, and advanced degrees by sharing his life experiences. His “Pilgrimage to Purpose” narrative arc, which he has shared with more than 800,000 people, chronicles his life from a GED to a Ph.D. recipient.
Rice is a professionally-trained historian who has taught a variety of lower and upper division undergraduate courses, including World History, United States History, The Civil Rights Movement, and American Religious History. His research and publishing agenda is focused squarely on the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Rice’s book, Hosea Williams: A Lifetime of Defiance and Protest was recently published by the University of South Carolina Press. This book is the first scholarly biography on one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest lieutenants and organizer of the Selma to Montgomery march and subsequent “Bloody Sunday.”
He has also worked in the non-profit sector, where he coordinated many of the strategic initiatives for the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute in Montgomery, Alabama, under the direction of Ms. Doris Crenshaw. He has also worked at The Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia, where he served as the Special Assistant to Dr. Bernice King, who is the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King. After the tragic death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Dr. Rice traveled with Ms. King as part of a team that included civil rights activists and trainers that engaged educators, law enforcement officers, civic leaders, gang members, and business leaders in the philosophy and techniques of her father.
Dr. Rice has also been identified as a subject-matter expert on the Civil Rights Movement and has been interviewed by CNN, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Montgomery Advertiser.
As the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Dapper Dean Education Empowerment Firm, Dr. Rice sees the world as a global classroom and grooming ground for greatness. For additional information, please visit his website at www.thedapperdean.com.
Rice currently serves as the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rust College and is married to the former Dana Lee. They have four children: Madison, Marley, Rolundus II and Remington.
For more information about this event, visit www.calhoun.edu/blackhistory.
