Meet the Staff

VP for Community Building and Connections/Posse Director/Campus Liaison
She/Her
sianders@sewanee.edu

Dr. Sibby Anderson-Thompkins is Sewanee's Inaugural Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. Dr. Thompkins brings over twenty-five years as a senior-level administrator in higher education with extensive experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion-related initiatives and campus-wide strategic planning, assessments and program evaluation, faculty diversity recruitment, and postdoctoral and graduate student professional development. During her extensive career, she has held deanships in student affairs and academic advising at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hampshire College, and Agnes Scott College. Before her arrival to Sewanee, she served as the special advisor to the chancellor and provost for equity and inclusion, interim chief diversity and professor of practice in Public Policy at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Director of Community Building and Connections/Posse Faculty Mentor Cohort 18
She/Her
rlfreder@sewanee.edu

Dr. Fredericks holds a bachelor of science degree in Finance from "The" Pennsylvania State University, and a Master of Arts degree in International Development from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Fredericks also holds a PhD in Community Engagement from Point Park University.  She has a background in teaching first-year seminar courses, guest lecturing on diversity and inclusion fundamentals, human resource management, program administration, data analytics, and, community outreach. She has lived, studied, and volunteered abroad in over seven countries, and brings a variety of experiences from both non-profit and corporate positions. She aspires to learn and serve the Sewanee family to foster belonging, establish equitable support for all cultures, and deepen community connections.

Assistant Director of Community Building and Connections
She/Her
trezell@sewanee.edu

Tarneka Ezell serves as the Assistant Director of Inclusive Programs and Student Engagement. Her primary role is to plan programs that support student engagement and cultural experiences of Sewanee students. Ezell comes to Sewanee after spending the last 14 years in public education. As an educator, she facilitated student events to celebrate the various backgrounds and identities of the school’s student body. Ezell received her bachelor’s degree in Human Ecology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She has professional experience working with mental health records for patients in Middle Tennessee and coding for front-end web development. Ezell has spent several years of her childhood growing up in Coevorden, Netherlands, but claims Memphis as her hometown. In her free time, you can find Tarneka enjoying movies, traveling, and planning.

Executive Assistant to the VP for Community Building and Connections/Posse Program Coordinator
She/Her
tahamilt@sewanee.edu

In her role, Tammy works closely with Dr. Anderson-Thompkins, the DEI staff, and the institution's key internal & external stakeholders to forward the DEI mission, vision, and goals. She has an extensive yet transferrable professional background in healthcare, specializing in identifying social and cultural determinants within historically underrepresented populations and addressing disparities that adversely impact underserved and marginalized individuals and communities.

Tammy holds a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration from Trevecca Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with emphasis on Science and Business Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her three children when they are home from college, kayaking on the lake, and hiking to one of our area’s beautiful falls.