NOVA-WO Assoc. Dean Camisha Parker Bids Farewell Following 12 Years at NOVA

NOVA-WO associate dean, Girl Scout leader, mom and podcaster Camisha Parker, bids farewell to NOVA, but she looks toward making impactful changes.

Parker, associate dean of math, computer science, engineering and HVAC, will be leaving NOVA to become executive director of the Virginia State University-Norfolk State University Regional Center. The partnership will bring an HBCU presence to Northern Virginia and she is excited to be selected to lead this work. Camisha hopes to develop partnerships with NOVA to support students of color in her new position.

Camisha served nearly 12 years at NOVA in various roles. She started as a full-time mathematics faculty member and went on to serve as an assistant dean, Woodbridge Campus honors chair, interim dean for the former Natural Science and Mathematics Division and then to her most recent position as associate dean.

“I have learned so much from the people that I have worked with directly and indirectly, and from the incredible opportunities and experiences I’ve had while at NOVA,” said Parker. “It has truly been a privilege and an honor to work alongside each of you over the years, and I look forward to continued opportunities to collaborate.”

As of this week, Parker was also featured in the Brookings Institution Podcast called “TechTank,” in which she and her daughter (a senior Girl Scout) covered social media and its effects on young people/teen behavior.

While the debates over social media use among teens and younger children will permeate broad conversations that seek to enhance teen safety and security while online, the opinions young people hold about these concerns is not often included in the conversation, and their thoughts are not considered when establishing absolute bans as the primary means to quell use, addiction and other potential harms.

“The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued a public health warning about the effects of social media on our youth, and it’s critically important to have the conversation given the mental health challenges teens and students are facing,” commented Parker. “Being a part of this podcast was a great way to shine the light on the negative impacts, but also to empower and advocate for the positive aspects that social media usage brings about–like the sense of community and belonging that many of our youth feel. As higher education leaders, we need to be engaged in these debates and conversations with policymakers and parents about social media because of its wide use by a huge sector of our student population. We must be intentional about not only educating our students about the negative effects of social media, but also about finding other ways for young people to connect–and not just through screens.“

Click here to listen to her podcast, and a final time in which she is proudly representing NOVA.

Submitted by:
Hoang Nguyen, Assoc. Director of External Comms., HDNguyen@nvcc.edu