Whitman College Announces New Vice President for Inclusive Excellence

Whitman College President Sarah Bolton announced the appointment of Dr. Sylvia Carey-Butler as the college’s next Vice President for Inclusive Excellence.

Dr. Carey-Butler brings extensive senior leadership experience to the role, most recently serving as Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Brown University, where she led the second phase of the school’s diversity action plan and other key initiatives, such as the Leadership Alliance to address the shortage of underrepresented students in academic careers. She has also held positions as Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Kennesaw State University and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.

Prior to her inclusive excellence roles, Dr. Carey-Butler worked in academic leadership roles, improving student success and retention and strengthening cross-departmental collaborations. She also spent several years at the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building, providing programs that supported enrollment and leadership at 38 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“With extensive higher education leadership experience, including at liberal arts colleges, research universities and HBCUs, Dr. Carey-Butler has led important change and progress in many communities,” says Bolton. “In addition to her strategic work, her compassion and dedication to the well-being of students and campus communities as they move through difficult situations impressed me and many others on campus.”

Whitman’s community values and mission of helping students develop ethical and meaningful lives of purpose stood out to Dr. Carey-Butler when she first learned about the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence role.

“I am inspired by the college’s collaborative spirit, which I witnessed throughout the interview process, and the deep commitment to the principles of inclusive excellence, where access and a welcoming and supportive environment is something everyone works hard every day to create,” she says.

Throughout the hiring process, Dr. Carey-Butler had several opportunities to interact with a wide selection of Whitman community members, including the search committee. The 11 faculty, staff and student search committee members began a nationwide search following Dr. John Johnson’s departure for Rhodes College in June, vetting and interviewing a group of highly qualified candidates, with four finalists coming to Walla Walla this fall. 

Overall, the committee sought a candidate with experience in supervision, program development and student organization advising, knowledge of the best practices in promoting inclusive excellence in higher education, the ability to build relationships with a wide range of people, a collaborative leadership style, and a commitment to the values of a liberal arts college with the understanding of inclusive excellence as a vital part of the overall educational mission.

“We were fortunate to have an exceptionally strong pool of candidates for this important position,” says Professor of Sociology Gilbert Mireles who served on the search committee. “Even so, it was immediately clear that Dr. Carey-Butler stood out among them for the breadth and depth of her work in inclusive excellence. The search committee recognized that her vision and programmatic expertise align closely with the college’s mission and will meaningfully advance inclusive excellence for all members of the Whitman community.”

Dr. Carey-Butler will be moving to Walla Walla this winter and begins her role as Whitman’s next Vice President for Inclusive Excellence on Jan. 20, 2026. She says, “I look forward to being part of a college where everyone is committed to academic excellence and student success, regardless of a student’s background, and am eager to build strong partnerships across campus to continue to advance inclusive excellence. I am ready to get to work!”