ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Winthrop University will welcome alumna Kaetrena Davis Kendrick ’95 as its new dean of Dacus Library and Pettus Archives.
An associate librarian and associate professor at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, Kendrick will begin work on July 1 following current Dean Mark Herring's retirement.
Adrienne McCormick, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said she is thrilled to welcome Kendrick back to Winthrop as the newest member of the university’s academic leadership team.
“She is well situated to hit the ground running to advance our current library services platform migration project and to extend innovations in open access and online educational resource development,” McCormick said. “She will also bring to Winthrop considerable expertise in academic librarianship and morale issues, a theory and practice of welcome to advance diversity and inclusion, and will nurture a stewardship of place in collection development. Kendrick's research and interests in these areas align strongly with Winthrop University's current strategic goals and opportunities.”
Selected as the 2019 Association of College and Research Libraries’ Academic/Research Librarian of the Year, Kendrick credits Winthrop for her preparation as a lifelong learner and leader. “As an information professional, my work centers around helping others enjoy and participate in lifelong learning through reading and information evaluation. In this way, I help many people become leaders of their own lives and communities.”
She said the desire to lead and help others was cultivated at Winthrop as a member of her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and through her connections with faculty.
She arrived at Winthrop in the early 1990s during the time that Winthrop College became Winthrop University. Kendrick said she went through a transition of her own: discovering a desire to learn about the world in a more global context. Today, her research has furthered that desire and allowed her to travel to various parts of Europe and Asia.
The Columbia native said former Winthrop Professors Gordon "Nick" Ross and the late Dorothy Perry Thompson made lasting impressions during her undergraduate years: Ross’ instruction allowed her to experiment with language and Thompson offered Kendrick a sense of community, and solidified her sense of cultural pride and confidence in her leadership.
During her tenure at USC Lancaster, and especially since the departure of the formal library director in 2015, Kendrick has been an informal administrative leader for the library. In that capacity, she has conceptualized, implemented and expanded library and campus-wide library services that cultivate, encourage and sustain student engagement and improve outreach for teaching and learning.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree in English from Winthrop, she holds a Master of Science degree in library services from Clark Atlanta University.
At Winthrop, Kendrick will oversee the Ida Jane Dacus Library and the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections. She will serve as chief academic and administrative officer of the library and archives, and will oversee its 23 faculty and staff members. As part of her duties, she will be asked to develop and implement a vision for the library and archives.
The library dean reports directly to the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, sits as a member of the academic leadership council and supports the university’s mission, vision and strategic goals as a public, regional comprehensive institution committed to increasing student success and inclusive excellence.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
