Soraya M. Coley, PhD Provost and Vice President of Academic ...

for the inaugural class of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family
Fellowship, a year-long program focused on preparing leaders to work at the federal,
state and local levels on behalf of children, families and communities.
Her professional affiliations include the American Council of Education’s Women’s
Network where she served on the Executive Council; ACE’s Chief Academic Officers
Program; the MLE Program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the
Millennium Leadership Program of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities.
As a motivational speaker, Dr. Coley is often called upon to present at national and
regional higher education conferences and in community settings. She has written and
conducted workshops on such topics as: higher education leadership for the 21 st
century; strategic planning and budgeting; strengthening the linkages between
Academic Affairs and University Advancement; achieving educational access, and
promoting multicultural awareness in education and human services. She is co-author
of a 4 th edition Sage Publication on Proposal Writing: Effective Grantsmanship.
Dr. Coley grew up in Goldsboro, North Carolina and was recognized with a “Key to the
City” for her stellar achievements and commitment to educational access by her
hometown and her high school alma mater. She earned her bachelor’s degree from
Lincoln University (PA) and was bestowed the “Founder’s Award for Outstanding Alumni
Achievement”. Her MSW and PhD degrees in Social Planning and Policy were
completed at Bryn Mawr College’s School of Social Work and Social Research. Her
civic affiliations include Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Junior League of Orange County,
and The Links, Inc. She is married to Ron Coley (Lt. Colonel Retired- USMC) who
serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Business and Administrative Services at
University of California, Berkeley.