Advent Semester Convocation to Feature Remarks from Renia Dotson, C’88
Sept. 14, 2026
The University's 2026 Advent Semester Convocation will take place at 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, Sept. 18, in All Saints’ Chapel. During the service, new members of the Order of the Gown will be inducted, and student recipients of awards and prizes will be announced. Renia Dotson, C’88, chair of the University Board of Regents, will deliver the Convocation address.
A member of the Board of Regents since 2018, Dotson was named vice chair in 2023 before being elected chair in 2024. As chair, Dotson served during a pivotal time for the University as her term coincided with significant leadership changes and the University’s formal adoption of a new strategic plan. Dotson’s term as chair will conclude in October.
Beyond Sewanee, Dotson has served as the director of the Center for Public Health Transformation at the Mississippi State Department of Health. Previously, she practiced general, and colon and rectal surgery for over 20 years in the Delta Health System. Her leadership in Mississippi healthcare includes roles on various boards and committees, including the Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure, the Mississippi Board of Nursing, and the Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce Advisory Board. She completed the Physician Leadership Academy at Mississippi State Medical Association and earned a Doctor of Distinction award. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Medical Association.
Originally from Monroeville, Alabama, Dotson graduated from the College in 1988 with a degree in biology. She received a medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, and completed an M.P.H. in healthcare organization and policy and an M.B.A. at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Upon her election as chair of the Board of Regents in 2024, Dotson said, “Sewanee is a place of great riches; its currency is relationships, which keep us deeply rooted in this place. As we move forward, Sewanee remains uniquely positioned to cultivate the minds and hearts of future leaders through its outstanding faculty and Episcopal heritage. I am very proud to be a part of that future.”
The Advent Convocation ceremony, including Dotson’s remarks, will be livestreamed here.
