Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran facts for kids

Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran was born on November 14, 1947. She is a well-known educator and leader in colleges. She became the 17th president of Kalamazoo College in 2005. This was a big deal because she was the first woman and the first African-American person to lead the school! She retired from this role in 2016.

Her Early Life and Schooling

Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran grew up in Los Angeles, California. After high school, she went to Pomona College, which is a college near Los Angeles. There, she studied sociology, which is about how people live and interact in groups. She also helped start the Black Student Union at the Claremont Colleges, which was a group for Black students.

After getting her first degree, she continued her studies at the Claremont Graduate University. She earned two more degrees there: a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in education. During her college years, she even studied abroad in England, where she learned about how immigrant children were educated. She also received a special scholarship called the Thomas J. Watson Traveling Fellowship. This allowed her to travel to Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania in Africa to do her own research.

Her Career in Education

After finishing her advanced studies in how young children develop, Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran started her first job at the University of Ife in Nigeria. This university is now called Obafemi Awolowo University. She taught classes in both education and psychology. She worked there for 14 years and even became a leader in her department and a Vice-Dean for the social sciences.

Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran is an expert in how children grow and learn in different cultures. She has written many articles and books on this topic. While she was in Nigeria, she also worked as a helper for UNICEF, which is a United Nations organization that helps children worldwide. She helped design surveys to check on the health and well-being of young children across Nigeria.

In 1988, her family moved back to the United States. She then became a visiting scholar at North Carolina Wesleyan College. Later, she became a professor and led the education department at Winston-Salem State University. In 1995, she moved to Salem College, where she became the Dean of the College. She eventually became the Vice President of Salem Academy and College and even served as acting president for a short time.

In 2013, Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran was chosen to lead the board of directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). This group helps independent colleges and universities across the United States.

Awards and Recognition

Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran has received many awards for her important work. Some of these include the Kent Fellowship, the American Council on Education Fellowship, and the Visionary Leadership Award from the Claremont Colleges. She is known for supporting fairness and including everyone, and she has been honored for helping young women and girls.

She received the Gender Equity Architect Award from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). She also got the Strong, Smart, and Bold Award from the Salvation Army and the Woman of Vision award from the YWCA. In 2007, the Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society gave her their Alumni Achievement Award.

Her Family Life

Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran is married to Olasope Oyelaran. They have four children named Adedoyin, Oyindasola, Omosalewa, and Oyeyinka.