On Aug. 15, 2022, Grambling State University graduate Dr. Melva K. Wallace became the ​seventh President and Chief Executive Officer at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Wallace earned her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and master’s in Public ​Administration from GSU before going on to receive her doctorate in higher education from ​Jackson State University (Mississippi).

Prior to going to Huston-Tillotson, Dr. Wallace held numerous positions within the Southern ​University System including, executive associate to the chancellor, assistant vice chancellor ​and vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at SU-Shreveport, vice ​chancellor at SU-New Orleans, and System chief of staff.

A former associate dean of College at Centenary College of Louisiana, Dr. Wallace has ​concurrently served as a professor, lecturer and board member at several colleges and ​universities.

The Presidential Leadership Scholar founding board member for the Higher Education ​Leadership Foundation also served as the senior director of programming for the Clinton ​Presidential Center.

Additionally, she is the co-founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (H.E.L.F.), a ​founding board member and board president for Magnolia School of Excellence and is a ​national spokesperson for emotional intelligence (soft skills) development.

At Huston-Tillotson. Dr. Wallace has been lauded for setting into motion an aggressive agenda ​that will expand and strengthen HT’s academic programs, galvanize its faculty, invigorate active ​participation among alumni, broaden its external donor base and increase financial support, ​improve the physical plant, and embrace a broader commitment to shared governance.

In 2023, Dr. Wallace was honored by the United Negro College Fund as a president in leadership ​and was named by Austin Business Journal as one of the Texas 100 Top Influential ​Professionals to Watch.