mdbarker@knox.edu

MarQuita Barker

Vice President for Student Development

Dr. MarQuita Barker has served as the Vice President for Student Development at Knox College since January 2022. In this role, she serves as the senior student affairs officer and as a member of senior staff. She provides leadership for all aspects of student life including departments that are responsible for providing programs and services dedicated to student success. As Vice President, she is an advocate for holistic student learning and represents student needs across campus.
 
Prior to joining Knox, Dr. Barker served in roles at Elon University in diversity education and residence life. She also held positions at Old Dominion University and Hampton University in residence life and student access, respectively.

She earned her B.S. in communications and M.S. in higher education administration from Old Dominion University. She also earned her M.B.A. from Elon University and earned her Ed.D. in leadership and learning in organizations from Vanderbilt University. She wrote her doctoral research on “Residential Colleges and Their Impact on Students’ Sense of Belonging.”

309-341-7225

dsouther@knox.edu

Deb Southern

Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students

I have served as Dean of Students at Knox College since March 2010 and previously served as Associate Dean of Students. In my current role I oversee student conduct, new student orientation and assist students in overcoming obstacles to their academic and personal success.

I help students be their very best academically and personally by connecting students with the best resources to help each be successful in and out of the classroom. I love my work and I enjoy working with students. My goal for each student that comes to see me is to provide each with a clear vision for what success will look like, and help each recognize steps that they can take to achieve that success.

I came to Knox in 2000 and joined the Office of Student Development as Assistant Dean of Students in 2001. Before coming to Knox I was Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa.

I earned a bachelor's degree in political science at Illinois Wesleyan University, where I also worked as a residence hall director and a summer conference coordinator and later an assistant director of summer conferences. I received a master's degree in higher education administration at the University of Iowa.