Email This PageNew Director for Black Cultural Center
The College welcomes Karlene Burrell-McRae as assistant dean and director of the Black Cultural Center (BCC). Burrell-McRae will support the BCC’s mission of guiding the intellectual and cultural development and leadership skills of African American students on campus as well as upholding the College’s commitment to multicultural living and learning. She will serve as an adviser to several campus groups including the Swarthmore African American Student Society, Students of Caribbean Ancestry, and the Swarthmore African Students Association and also as dean of the junior class.
Burrell-McRae comes from the University of Pennsylvania, where she served as the founding director of Makuu: the Black Cultural Center at UPenn, where, as leader and supervisor of the center, she was, among other things, responsible for student development and activities, access, retention, and partnership with student organizations. She is known for her effective handling of black student concerns, bridging the gap between students and alumni through the creation of a mentoring program that increased student networking opportunities, and increasing academic success through recognition and mentorship.
