A longtime educator is returning to Highline College to oversee academic excellence, equitable access to higher education, and student success. Dr. Rolita Flores Ezeonu, Ed.D., has been appointed Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, and starts March 3, 2025.
“As the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, I am honored to support and walk alongside our faculty, instructional leadership and staff as we work together towards our students’ success. Faculty recruitment, retention, and support are essential components of this role, too,” Dr. Ezeonu said.
Dr. Ezeonu is arriving from Green River College where she served as Vice President of Instruction from July 2018 through February 2025. During her time there, she led full-time and adjunct faculty recruitment, development, retention and evaluation, curriculum and instruction.
“Highline is so fortunate to have a veteran educator such as Dr. Ezeonu who will help continue our mission, values and goals for the next year. And as a bonus she had worked at Highline for many years prior to her time at Green River. I am very, very happy,” said Highline College President Dr. John Mosby.
Dr. Ezeonu served as Highline's Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs from April 2017 to June 2018. Prior to that, she was Dean of Instruction for Transfer and Pre-College Education at Highline, from July 2008 to March 2017.
Speaking of her connection with Highline, Dr. Ezeonu said the college has always held “a special place in my heart.”
She continued, “I have spent over 25 years in south King County because of my deep commitment to the students and communities we serve. Returning to Highline in this leadership role is both meaningful and personal. I look forward to reconnecting with colleagues I have known for over two decades, while also building new relationships with faculty, staff and leadership who have joined since 2018.”
In 2023, Dr. Ezeonu completed the Aspen Institute Rising Presidents Fellowship. She is an Adjunct Instructor at Seattle University, where she teaches classes in Multicultural Perspectives, Community Engaged Leadership, and Introduction to Educational Research.