Gloria Gibson | Former President of Northeastern Illinois University
Former president of Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, from July 2018 to June 2023, Gloria Gibson holds a BA and an MA in Music Education and a PhD in Folklore and Ethnomusicology Concentration from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Prior to taking her most recent role, Ms. Gibson held several high-level university positions including senior vice president and provost at Morgan State University, Baltimore, executive vice-president and provost at the University of Northern Iowa, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Arkansas State University, and associate vice chancellor of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Indiana University.
Northeastern Illinois University
As president of Northeastern Illinois University, Ms. Gibson focused on collaborating with campus leaders to provide an excellent educational experience to students. She also improved the Office of Career Services to offer increased connectivity between students and employers and provided leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure the safety of the campus. Ms. Gibson established the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and supported programming for staff, faculty, and students to improve knowledge and application of EDI. Other key accomplishments in this role include: creating the Division of Enrollment Management, securing external funding from corporations, foundations, and individual donors, and meeting with and advocating for increased funding from representatives of federal and state legislative bodies including the Latino Legislative Caucus and the Black Legislative Caucus.
Leadership and Legacy
Throughout her career, Ms. Gibson has been committed to increasing recruitment and improving retention, promoting curricular innovation, enhancing professional development for staff and faculty, supporting the traditional and fine arts, and promoting inclusive excellence through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She also consistently nurtured cultures of transparency, honesty and integrity, engaged in fundraising strategic planning, and developed international partnerships with universities.
Hobbies & Interests
When she’s not working, Ms. Gibson enjoys strength training, walking, gardening, practicing yoga, and reading; one of her favorite books is Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. She loves to travel and has recently visited Paris for a personal trip and Colombia for work to establish partnerships in Medellin. Ms. Gibson is a member of the board of Covenant House, Illinois, an organization that supports young people experiencing homelessness. As well as being a safe harbor, Covenant House provides a range of wraparound support services designed to meet the physical, emotional, and educational needs of the young adults as they work towards independence.
