On February 1, 2019, Dr. Chioma Ugochukwu began her position as the new Provost and Vice President. Ugochukwu was enthralled by Cabrini’s commitment to living out its social justice values and its education of the heart. She is committed to not only seeing students succeed academically and socially, but wants to see them experience character and moral development.
Ugochukwu grew up in Nigeria into a loving and close-knit family of eight which included her mother, father and five brothers. As the only girl in her family, Ugochukwu accompanied her five brothers in various adventures, like climbing trees, which resulted in scars that she still has today.
She noted that growing up, neighbors were more like extended family members.
“Neighbors would stop by without even calling. The kids would play in the streets and have dinner or lunch at friend’s houses,” Ugochukwu said. “ It was really fun, I enjoyed it a lot.”
After receiving a bachelor’s in dramatic arts and master’s degree in Mass Communications at the University of Nigeria, Ugochukwu worked at three newspapers taking on various roles as a political reporter, editor and columnist. Ugochukwu noted that it while it was “eye opening,” it proved to be a challenging environment to work in as a women. She recalled a time when she was in a group meeting to interview a politician she was asked to leave to grab food when it was her turn to ask the politician a question.
“Living through that made me realize that I had to be strong, made me realize I had to be focused,” Ugochukwu said. “That I had to understand who I was and that I couldn’t let the traditional or whatever anyone was thinking about my role to determine my future.”
Afterwards, she moved to England to take courses at Coventry University towards a Master of Philosophy degree in Media, Culture and Communication.
Through her brother’s influence, who was living in the US at the time, Ugochukwu decided that wanted to pursue a doctorate degree in journalism. She felt that the University of Texas-Austin offered the best program and moved to the US to begin the program.
Fortunately, culture shock wasn’t something Ugochukwu ever encountered moving to the U.S as Nigeria had been previously been colonized by England. Much of the education system and pop culture was heavily influenced by Western civilization. In fact, English in the main language in Nigeria.
After receiving her doctorate, she moved on to work in various academic settings from women’s colleges to state schools and Catholic schools.
The driving force behind her actions as an educator is seeing students succeed and grow morally and socially.
A strong mission and a bigger impact
The search for the provost was nationwide. Many contenders later, Cabrini chose her. Ugochukwu has an incredible background that competes with very few.
In a press release following the approval of Ugochukwu, Cabrini President Donald Taylor praises Ugochukwu.
“Dr. Ugochukwu demonstrates the vital expertise and dedication that is pivotal for integrating Cabrini’s mission with a continued commitment to academic excellence and student success,” Taylor said.
Ugochukwu says that all of her work leads her to her impact, that that’s all she wants to do is be impactful. This is what stands out to Cabrini as a mission-driven institution.
“There is nothing more rewarding than being at an institution where their mission aligns with yours. [When] you’re in a place where there’s that alignment, you feel as if you can actually do stuff, right? That you can actually impact or at least help to enhance that mission, that what you do will be impactful,” Ugochukwu said.
Throughout Ugochukwu’s career, she has dedicated herself to social justice and advocating for all types of causes. When she read the mission, Ugochukwu said this was the kind of place she’d like to be in. The mission is strong to her, and the examples stuck out.
When asked about her goals for her new position, she mentioned a lot of “continuing to improve and excel.” There isn’t much that Ugochukwu wants to change, but simply enhance. She says she wants to work with faculty members to advance what they already do for student success and academic excellence.
“I’m hoping that I will be able to work with faculty and staff to set that kind [of] vision where we value and continue to prove excellence,” Ugochukwu said.
It’s all about the students to Ugochukwu. She says she wants to help students feel comfortable, valued and listened to. She says there’s nothing more important than seeing that students are actually achieving, thanks to not only what information they learned in classes, but the ethics and morals that were taught through the work.
Ugochukwu wants to enhance the atmosphere, making sure there’s connections. It’s not just about the degree to her, it’s about the moral development and who become because of what you learned.
“We have to do our best to make sure that our students feel connected, that they feel a sense of family. When students feel socially integrated, they’re able to persist and succeed,” Ugochukwu said.
