Welcome from the Provost

Dr. Annice Yarber-Allen was appointed Albany State University's Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, beginning her official tenure on March 2, 2026. Dr. Yarber-Allen is a seasoned higher-education leader who advances the academic mission through student success, faculty excellence, and institutional innovation.

An Alabama native, Dr. Yarber-Allen earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work and her doctorate in Medical Sociology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Master of Social Work in Program Planning and Administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Before her career in higher education administration, Dr. Yarber-Allen held leadership positions in social work, including roles in prevention programs, treatment services, and healthcare initiatives, providing her with insight into the challenges and opportunities facing today's students.

Dr. Yarber-Allen joined Auburn University at Montgomery in 2004, where she advanced through the academic ranks from assistant professor to full professor. Her scholarship and teaching excellence established her as a respected voice in her field, earning the AUM Distinguished Teaching Professor Award. She was appointed Chair of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Geography in 2016.

Dr. Yarber-Allen's tenure with the University System of Georgia began at Columbus State University in 2018. She has served in progressively senior roles—Department Chair, Dean, Interim Senior Vice Provost, and Acting Provost—providing a deep understanding of curriculum and assessment, faculty life, student engagement, and strategic operations across the academic enterprise.

Dr. Yarber-Allen is strongly committed to external engagement, resource development, and workforce-aligned academic innovation. She has secured numerous competitive grants from agencies including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and Department of Labor. Her grant work has supported access and workforce development, including initiatives in advanced manufacturing education, substance abuse treatment, and rural and primary care workforce training.

Her scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed publications, national and regional presentations, and two peer-reviewed edited books.

Dr. Yarber-Allen's leadership philosophy is grounded in the wisdom passed down from her mother: "always leave a place better than you found it." This principle of servant leadership guides her approach to building sustainable excellence and transformative impact in higher education.

Dr. Yarber-Allen is married to Fulton Allen, a graduate of Rutgers University and a Purple Heart Medal recipient (Vietnam War).

Vice Provost for Student Academic Progression

Dr. Erin Wiggins Gilliam is a seasoned scholar-administrator with more than two decades of experience in higher education, having served in senior executive leadership roles across academic affairs, graduate education, student success, and strategic initiatives in both public and private institutions. Her portfolio includes service as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Assistant Vice President for Student Success, and Dean of Graduate Studies, as well as Dean of the Honors College at her alma mater, Kentucky State University. In these leadership roles, she has led institution-wide efforts focused on academic quality, student progression, organizational effectiveness, and expanded access to high-impact educational pathways. 

A proud graduate of Kentucky State University—a land-grant Historically Black College and University—Dr. Gilliam holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Kentucky. Her training as a historian informs a leadership approach grounded in data-informed decision-making, institutional context, and mission-aligned policy development. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex data into actionable strategy, align academic priorities with accreditation and accountability frameworks, and lead change in dynamic institutional environments, particularly in ways that remove structural barriers and broaden access to student success.

Throughout her career, Dr. Gilliam has directed comprehensive student success and retention initiatives, including the implementation of early-alert systems, academic recovery and persistence strategies, curriculum redesign, and graduate program expansion. Her leadership has contributed to measurable gains in retention, progression, and degree completion, while ensuring alignment with accreditation standards, performance-based funding models, and long-term strategic plans. Central to this work is her commitment to accessibility, equity, and student-centered design, ensuring that institutional systems effectively serve diverse learners.

Dr. Gilliam has held senior academic leadership positions at Edward Waters University, Texas Southern University, and Kentucky State University, where she provided oversight for academic operations, faculty affairs, accreditation, sponsored programs, and institutional effectiveness. Across these roles, she is known for building high-performing teams, strengthening academic infrastructure, and advancing sustainable, mission-driven change that reflects both the historic and contemporary role of HBCUs in expanding educational access and opportunity.

She is an Aspen Faculty Fellow and an HBCU Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) Fellow, distinctions that reflect her national engagement in advancing leadership practice, equity-minded strategy, institutional transformation, and student access across higher education sectors.

In addition to her executive leadership, Dr. Gilliam is a tenured associate professor and active scholar whose research examines African American history, public history, and the role of higher education institutions—particularly HBCUs—in advancing educational and civic opportunity. She is the author of multiple peer-reviewed publications and has a forthcoming book exploring the historical and contemporary significance of Black institutions and communities. Her scholarly work is supported by external grants focused on institutional capacity-building, community engagement, workforce alignment, and access-driven innovation.

Dr. Gilliam is married to her husband, a fellow Kentucky State University graduate and board-certified physician in internal medicine and pediatrics. Together, they are the proud parents of two daughters. Her leadership is deeply informed by her commitment to family, service, and the belief that higher education—especially institutions committed to access and excellence—remains a transformative force in advancing the public good.