Dr. Darrin Rankin, VP of Student Success at Lone Star College-Kingwood
Kingwood Rotarians were very happy to welcome a remarkable educator as our guest speaker, Dr. Darrin Rankin, Vice President of Student Success at Lone Star College, Kingwood Campus. He is a noted academician, published scholar, researcher and administrator in the field of higher education, and his personal story was fascinating, and his journey as an educator has been remarkable.
He has presented internationally in places like South Africa and Europe regarding his passion for student engagement and the experience of the African American male. In the summer of 2014, Rankin took the podium again when he visited Guangxi Normal University in Guilin, China, to speak on behalf of the National Association of African American Studies and Affiliates (NAAAS) about “The 21st Century African American Male in Higher Education.”
Prior to joining LSC-Kingwood in 2010, Dr. Rankin had already earned a national reputation of being a leader in education. With more than two decades of higher education experience and a tremendous heart for students, Rankin’s passion translates into a philosophy of being student centered and quality driven and is complimented by his academic research and writing that focuses on matters of student success.
He frequently speaks to students about the importance of empowerment and education and has presented internationally in places like South Africa and Europe regarding student engagement and the experience of African American males.
He grew up in New Orleans as the oldest of three children where neither of his parents had a formal education. They did, however, stress the importance of becoming educated.
Though he struggled in high school and was initially rejected by Loyola University, Rankin went on to get more than one degree from college. He graduated from Loyola University with a bachelor's degree in 1987, a master's degree from Syracuse University in 1992 and a doctorate from Jackson State University in 2007.
"I want to save other students like myself. I'm a first generation college student. I want to work with young people in the community and help them make informed choices." said Dr. Rankin.
Dr. Rankin attended Delgado Community College. He completed a Jesuit education, earning with honors, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education Administration with an emphasis in Student Services from Syracuse University, and finally, a Ph.D. degree in Higher Education Administration from the Historically Black Research University, Jackson State University. He also studied in 2006, at The Abby in Pontlevoy, France and Dr. Rankin is a 2001 alumni of the distinguished Harvard University IEM program, where he was a Bush Hewlett Fellow.
Please click here to read a Houston Chronicle article about his work.