Dr. Mary Evans Sias
A desire to excel and an insatiable passion for learning have characterized Dr. Mary Evans Sias’ life and her professional career, spanning more than 25 years in nonprofit management and higher education.
Selected as the 13th president of Kentucky State University in 2004, Dr. Sias has focused on creating an environment of accountability, transparent communications and collegial decision making since her arrival. She has a strong concern for and demonstrated commitment to students and to building stronger relationships with the broader community. Under her leadership, new graduate programs are being added, there has been a focus on KSU’s Land Grant status and significant improvements in technology are taking place on campus to prepare students to meet the global challenges facing them. In addition, fund-development efforts of the university have improved substantially.
Prior to coming to Kentucky, Dr. Sias served nine years as senior vice president for student affairs and external relations at The University of Texas Dallas, where she was also an associate professor of sociology. She also served as chief executive officer of the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas for 14 years.
Throughout her professional career, volunteerism has been an integral part of her life, and she has received numerous awards for her community efforts, including the “She Knows Where She’s Going Award,” given by Girls Clubs Inc. Since coming to Frankfort, Dr. Sias has joined the Board of Directors of the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA Board, Leadership Kentucky and the University of Kentucky Museum of Art Board.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Sias earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Tougaloo College, where she graduated summa cum laude. She was awarded a Ford Foundation doctoral fellowship and pursued her master’s and doctorate in sociology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She also received a master's in business administration from Abilene Christian College.
Dr. Sias is married to Shadrach Sias, and they have one daughter, Adrienne Sias.
To find out more about Dr. Sias visit http://www.kysu.edu/
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