Hobart and William Smith Colleges

4 October 2017 President Vincent 83 at Alpha Phi Alpha General Convention

President Gregory J. Vincent 83 served as the master of ceremonies at the fraternal luncheon during the 94^th Alpha Phi Alpha General Convention in Baltimore, Md., this summer. Vincent, who is chairman of Alpha Phi Alphas National Commission on Racial Justice, is a life member of the fraternity, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter organization established for African American Men.

In addition to the luncheon, the Alpha Phi Alpha annual convention included board and committee meetings; workshops, leadership training and professional and personal development sessions; the Black & Old Gold Leadership Gala; and a number of social events celebrating the fraternitys 111^th anniversary.

Vincent is also a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boul), the oldest black Greek-letter organization for professional men, where he serves as the Grand Sire Archon-Elect (President-Elect). Earlier in 2017, he delivered the keynote at that fraternitys W.E.B. DuBois Public Policy Series.

Vincents extensive career is distinguished by his commitment to equity and justice, both in education and in the wider public arena. He joined University of Texas-Austin in 2005 and presided over the universitysDivision of Diversity and Community Engagement, now regarded as a national model. In 2016, Vincent served as university spokesperson in the case of Fisher v. University of Texas, in which the United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold the use of affirmative action in higher education. He previously served as assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, vice provost for academic affairs and campus diversity and law professor at Louisiana State University and vice provost for institutional equity and diversity and law professor at the University of Oregon.

As Ohios assistant attorney general in the early 1990s, Vincent successfully argued several major civil rights cases before that states Supreme Court. He was promoted to director for regional and legal affairs at the Ohio Civil Rights Commission in Cleveland.

For his service and community engagement, Vincent has received numerous awards and recognitions, notably the Educator of the Year Award from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, the Distinguished Service Award from the Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence (CADE) of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Distinguished Service Award from the Moritz College of Law. The Austin NAACP and Austin Area Urban League presented Vincent with their highest honors, the DeWitty/Overton Freedom Award and the Whitney Young Legacy Award for committing himself to raise awareness and educate the community on the importance of diversity and inclusion. In recognition of his leadership, the City of Austin made June 13, 2017Dr. Gregory J. Vincent Day.