Interview with Barbee Oakes

Barbee Myers Oakes is the assistant provost for diversity and inclusion. Prior to her current position, she served as the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University for 14 years. Under her leadership, the OMA implemented key retention strategies that positioned Wake Forest among the most successful institutions in the nation with respect to graduating students of color. An exercise physiologist by training, Oakes received a B.S. with honors and an M.A. in exercise science from Wake Forest. As a Hylton Smith Fellow, she received a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and nutrition from the University of Tennessee and was the first African American female with a doctorate in the American College of Sports Medicine. Oakes has held academic appointments as an assistant professor at Wake Forest, Arizona State and Penn State University. Her current research interests include the identification of the tools students of color need to successfully navigate the journey of higher education.