Ain’t nothing like a Howard girl!
According to Shadow And Act, Howard University’s very own Phylicia Rashad will return to the institution as the Dean of Howard’s Fine Arts College.
Known as the beloved Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” to a generation of audience members, Phylicia Rashad will become the dean of the Historically Black University’s newly reestablished college of fine arts.
“It is an honor to welcome one of Howard’s acclaimed daughters back home to her Alma Mater,” said the university’s Provost, Anthony K. Wutoh in a statement. “In this full-circle moment, Ms. Phylicia Rashad will take the training and skills that she honed as a student at Howard and exuded in an outstanding performing career, and she will share those pearls of wisdom with the next generation of students in the College of Fine Arts. Her passion for the arts and student success makes her a perfect fit for this role.”
The nationwide search for the position began before the decision to appoint Howard’s very own, Rashad, to the position.
“I never saw myself as a dean,” said Rashad in an interview with Variety. “But then, I’ve never thought of myself as many things that I’ve been. “It’s a privilege to be a part of reestablishing the College of Fine Arts, to engage with the administration, the faculty, the students, the alumni, as well as artists around the country. It’s exciting to think about building towards a future with a College of Fine Arts and Howard University.”
Despite her shock from the news of the appointment, Rashad is no stranger to facilitating higher education having previously served as a guest lecturer and adjunct faculty member at Howard.
It was in these role these roles that her “This Is Us” co-star Susan Kelechi-Watson and the late Chadwick Boseman would become her students.
“I started teaching at the invitation of Al Freeman Jr., who was a former chair of the department of theater. He was a friend and we had also worked together in a soap opera, and he was from the state of Texas as well,” continued Rashad. “At the time that I was teaching this masterclass at Howard, I was taping ‘Cosby’ in New York. I would fly down every Friday after tape day to conduct what was supposed to be an hour-long class, which ended up sometimes being three hours because students wouldn’t leave.”
Phylicia Rashad’s role as the Dean of Fine Arts at Howard University will officially begin on July 1.
