Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Executive Vice President and Provost, Dr. Malou C. Harrison, has been selected among Florida’s most impactful and influential Black women by ONYX Magazine, the premier publication celebrating Black achievement throughout the Sunshine State. Dr. Harrison will be recognized at the 7th Annual Women on the Move (WOTM) event, which honors trailblazing Black women during Women’s History Month. The event will take place on Friday, March 18, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, Fla.
“I am humbled and honored to be recognized alongside this stellar group of Florida women,” Dr. Harrison said. “I’m grateful to Onyx Magazine, and I look forward with great enthusiasm to exploring possibilities for meaningful collaborations with fellow honorees.” The 2022 roster of honorees assembled by Onyx Magazine comprises an eclectic group of women ranging from legislators to lawyers, journalists, bankers, educators, health care professionals, Fire Chiefs, entrepreneurs and community leaders who have shattered glass ceilings in their professions and persevered against all odds. “These powerful and innovative achievers are the architects of thriving workplaces and communities around our great state,” said Rich Black, ONYX Magazine’s Publisher, CEO, and editor-in-chief.“We are in awe of their success. Further, we thank our sponsors and other supporters—who are essential in making this the most prestigious event to recognize women across Florida—for their unwavering faith in our efforts.”
Jamaican-Born Dr. Harrison is a respected leader with more than 35 years of transformative leadership championing the cause of underserved students in public higher education. She has been at MDC for over three decades serving in various capacities, including president of multiple campuses and Dean of Students. Throughout her tenure, she has led the establishment of many high impact partnership initiatives at the College that have furthered equity, academic excellence and student success.
Dr. Harrison has been at the helm of resource development that has garnered substantial funding from a combination of private sources as well as public funders such as the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. She is the author of two Book Chapters: “Community Colleges: Fertile Ground for Black Male Student Success” in the book titled “Engaging African Males in Community College (Contemporary perspectives on Access, Equity, and Achievement); and “Toward Equity: The Immigrant Experience at Miami Dade College” in the book titled, “Working Toward an Equitable and Prosperous Future for All: How Community Colleges and Immigrants are Changing America”. Dr. Harrison serves on several boards, including the National Advisory Board of the Community College Consortium on Immigrant Education; Board of Directors of Thriving Mind of South Florida; Board of Directors of Centro Campesino; and the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League. She has been recognized with the Florida College System’s Cameron Hall Practitioner Award for student advocacy and humanitarianism; Educate Tomorrow Founders’ Award for leadership in foster youth student achievement; Miami Dade County’s In the Company of Women Award for Education; the Nigerian American Foundation Educator Leadership Award, and the Jamaican Consulate General Community Leader Award.
