When the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus took the reins as EMU’s interim president last July, she worried that she would lose the authentic relationships she developed with students over the years as the former head of student affairs. While it’s true there’s now a greater distance, both figuratively and literally, between Dycus on the third floor of Campus Center and the hundreds of EMU students who cross the Front Lawn below her, it hasn’t been as far as she feared.

Over the past several months, Dycus said, she’s found ways to engage with students and show up for them. And so when a pair of student clubs asked her last month to participate as a panelist in a Valentine’s Day-related “How to Flirt” session, it was another reminder her approach was working.

“My initial reaction was, ‘Is this something a president should do?’ And then I realized that they wanted someone who could speak honestly and authentically, so it was actually an honor they included me,” said Dycus. “It was a wonderful opportunity for me to be with students again and to talk about things that matter a lot to them.”

Dycus isn’t the typical university president. The first Black woman to lead EMU in the role, even in an interim capacity, she’s brought courage and boldness to the presidential suite. That confidence comes from a deep devotion for the university and its mission, shaped by years of serving its students. She said she’s learned to love engaging with donors and stakeholders, sharing stories of the school’s successes and expressing what excites her, well beyond the corners of campus.

“I’ve actually found that to be one of the things I enjoy most about this role,” she said. “My passion for EMU gets concentrated in conversations I get to have.”

As the calendar flips from Black History Month to Women’s History Month and she approaches the ninth month of her two-year appointment, the ordained minister and educator reflected on her leadership, the mentors who have molded her, and her goals moving forward.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PHOTO: Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus leads a line dance at the Turner Pavilion in Downtown Harrisonburg during the fourth annual Royals Go Downtown in September 2025. | She greets students outside EMU alumna-owned Magpie Diner at the start of the cross-town culinary crawl. | Dycus chats with Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, at the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade in December 2025.

From conversations with faculty, staff, and students at a series of listening sessions held by the marketing and communications team in mid-February, it’s clear that people on campus feel a spirit of change in the air. A renewed energy courses through the veins of the university, and much of it stems from the new face in the president’s office. Dycus, ever the humble servant leader, brushes off the credit and heaps it on the leaders around her.

“Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is an adaptive and cohesive team,” said Dycus. “We identified our gaps in areas like branding or fiscal data and have launched shared responses, which is critical. Our team of four deans, with unique portfolios for teaching and learning, is also incredible. It’s a collaborative effort focused on what’s truly a priority for us as an institution.”

That priority has been righting the ship through the headwinds and choppy waters of higher education. Dycus and the leadership team have worked to stabilize the university and guide it toward long-term sustainability, ensuring it can thrive for generations to come.

“One of my goals this year, and as we keep moving forward, is to truly empower faculty and staff on campus to lead within the scope of their work and feel energized and excited about EMU’s identity and progress,” she said. “I want them to know they have permission to advocate, both on campus and beyond, for the good things they see.”

Lately, there’s been plenty of positive news to go around. The momentum from last year has carried into this one, said Braydon Hoover ’11, MAOL ’21, vice president of enrollment and marketing. Undergraduate applications have jumped 92% compared to last year, and offers of admission have risen 126%.

When Dycus looks back at the many mentors in her life, she can’t overlook her roots in the traditional Black church where she was raised. The granddaughter of a pastor in the Disciples of Christ denomination, she recalled the many Black women in her congregation who offered wisdom, corrected her, and challenged her in ways that were important for her formation.

“I felt loved and cared for by each of them,” she said. “They invested in me and poured into me, with their wisdom, time, and energy, in ways I still feel grateful for. How do I continue that investment with the next generation of young people? There’s a real responsibility and commitment in what they gave me.”

One of the people who impacted her most was her high school guidance counselor. As a sophomore starting at her third high school, Dycus struggled to make new friends and figure out her identity. Her counselor, Marilyn Corbitt, was pivotal in helping her find a place where she belonged and in affirming the gifts she saw in herself.

“I left high school and started college hoping I could be a Marilyn Corbitt for someone else,” said Dycus. She earned a degree in education and planned to become a guidance counselor herself.

Corbitt died in September 2019 at age 80. She was one of the only Black counselors at Dycus’ high school of more than 3,000 students and served as advisor to its Black Student Association.

“She did a wonderful job of teaching us many of the things we weren’t learning in the classroom and challenging us to live them out in real ways, from leading service projects in the community to expressing culture in ways that brought joy,” Dycus said. “She encouraged us to use our voices, even when it was uncomfortable.”

“I still carry her spirit and the impact she had on me,” she continued. “I didn’t get a chance to go back and tell her ‘thank you,’ but I carry the hope that I can be Marilyn for whichever young version of Shannon needs it.”

Students at EMU say Dycus has supported them and helped them grow through her mentorship.

“She always chats and checks up on me and emphasizes my mental health,” said senior Nia Boyd. “She’s like an auntie for me. I always enjoy sharing a laugh with her.”

As co-president of the Student Government Association last year, senior Genesis Figueroa worked closely with Dycus. “She was always there to help us out, especially when it was hard being a woman of color on the executive team,” said Figueroa. “I saw how she not only did her job, but also supported and encouraged students to speak up for themselves.”

For senior and first-generation college student Emily Suarez Nunez, Dycus has helped her recognize the value of quiet presence and support and become more confident speaking up for others.

“I appreciate that, even with her new role and responsibilities, she is still Shannon,” said Suarez Nunez. “Every time I see her, she’s the same kind, genuine, listening ear she’s always been. When I talk with her, the world slows down for a few minutes, and sharing that moment feels like a deep breath that refills and recharges me.”

A set of mosaic prints has adorned her EMU offices. The prints feature portraits of people throughout history who have inspired her in different ways.

Among the portraits are bell hooks, the educator and activist who shaped Dycus’ understanding of what it means to be a teacher; theologian and spiritual leader Howard Thurman, the first Black dean of a predominantly white institution; and two icons of the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

“I come to this role of president not as a traditional academic, but as a leader who seeks boldness and truth, like Martin and Malcolm did,” said Dycus. “I come as an educator who is deeply concerned with the growth of humans, as bell hooks was. And I come as someone who pays attention to the spirit in people and in our community, as Howard Thurman did. Whenever I feel fragmented or unconventional in how I arrived here, they remind me how all the pieces can come together in meaningful ways.”

Learn more about Dr. Dycus atĚýemu.edu/president.

A meeting of EMU and Harrisonburg city officials on Aug. 7 marked a milestone in representation, bringing together the city’s first refugee council member (Nasser Alsaadun MA ’17 [education]), its first Black woman mayor (Deanna Reed), and EMU’s first Black woman president (Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus). 

The liaison committee meeting was also attended by Deputy City Manager Amy Snider, filling in for City Manager Ande Banks ’97; Melissa Heatwole, director of continuing education and events at EMU; and Amy Springer Hartsell ’92, executive advisor to the president at EMU. The committee aims to identify ways the city and university can partner together to better serve the needs of the community. James Madison University has a similar committee, and Mayor Reed said she felt it was important that both universities had a voice. 

“There’s no Harrisonburg without EMU and there’s no EMU without Harrisonburg,” she said. 

Dr. Dycus, who began her role as EMU’s interim president on July 1, spoke about the importance that EMU places on community. “We want to grow leaders, whether that’s high schoolers coming straight into their undergraduate careers or whether that’s business leaders who want to get new skills,” she said. “We know we are part of making Harrisonburg stronger, our community stronger, and that we are all doing that together in different ways.”

The university celebrated its second-best fundraising year on record in 2024-2025, Dycus shared, and enrollment figures have increased by a significant amount over last year. She also spoke about EMU’s new pickleball and tennis courts. “If you drive down Park Road, it is abuzz,” she said.

Committee members received an update on Royals Go Downtown. Now in its fourth year, the annual event brings together hundreds of students for a walking tour of restaurants and businesses, sampling foods and collecting giveaways, before gathering at a DJ-led dance party. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Much of the discussion centered around the community’s need for interpreter services. Councilman Alsaadun wondered whether EMU’s Intensive English Program (IEP) might be able to help fill the gap in interpreter training. The program has a reputation among the local immigrant community as “the best in the area,” he said. “From Winchester to Charlottesville, you guys are the best there is.”

The liaison committee will meet next in November. 

Campus felt warmer than usual on Monday morning, and it wasn’t just because of the sunshine. The music was bumping, the bubble machine was set to max, and positive vibes were in full swing. Faculty and staff members lined the pathway in front of Lehman Auditorium, holding signs and cheering as students arrived for Opening Convocation.

The annual ceremony serves as the traditional kickoff to the school year. Judging by the excitement on Monday morning, this year is sure to be bursting with energy and enthusiasm.

Keep scrolling for snapshots of the music, engaging speakers, and words of wisdom from Opening Convocation 2025!

Students received a hero’s welcome as they made their way into Lehman Auditorium for the ceremony. There were plenty of hugs and high-fives to go around!

As faculty and staff processed into Lehman as per tradition, they were treated to rhythmic djembe drumming led by Makinto, an Eastern Mennonite Seminary student and globetrotting musician. The talented multi-instrumentalist and worship leader energized the audience, leading everyone in a lively call-and-response of “walk in peace,” “together we can,” “and unity,” and “E-M-U.”

Members of the EMU Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Benjamin Bergey, lifted their voices together in a flawless rendition of the hymn, “The Unclouded Day.” Earlier this summer, the choir performed at venues across Europe and represented North America at the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism celebration in ZĂźrich. 

Those attending Opening Convocation got a special treat as Dr. David Berry, director of the music program at EMU, debuted a new, rockin’ song written just for the occasion. Berry lit up the piano and delivered some fiery rap verses, while adjunct music instructors Jonah Barnett (guitar) jammed out on electric guitar and Tabatha Parrott (contemporary voice) wowed with her powerhouse vocals. 

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs at EMU, provided words of welcome and introduced the university theme for the year ahead. “For those of you who are first-year students, you’re stepping into a world of endless possibilities, new friendships, and academic challenges. But you don’t have to do it alone because we do this thing at EMU together,” she said. “… ‘Together’ is a word you’re going to hear, see, and, I hope, feel in your mind. We will learn together, we will serve together, we will compete together, and, this year, we will sustain together.”

Seniors Maria Longenecker and Leah Frankenfield, who are serving as Student Government Association co-presidents this year, introduced themselves and encouraged students to express their concerns. “Together, we’re committed to making sure each student feels that their voice matters and is heard on campus,” said Longenecker. “We strive to support all students, including our multicultural, athletic, international, commuter, first-gen, and everyone in between.”

Claire Hurst, a third-year environmental science and public health major who spent the summer as a climate advocacy intern through the EMU Washington Semester, shared her experiences and spoke on the importance of environmental sustainability. At its core, she said, environmental sustainability is about using resources in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

“For me, a passion for the natural world has grown from countless summer nights camping under tall pine trees and Sunday afternoon hikes filled with laughter among friends and family. It feels natural to want to protect and give back to the places that have provided me such joy and fulfillment,” she said. “As we begin this fall semester, I encourage you all to think about how you connect and engage with our everyday spaces. … Anything that allows you to appreciate the environment will translate into wanting to protect it.”

The Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus used the Opening Convocation, her first as EMU’s interim president, to talk about trees. She invited the members of the EMU learning community to imagine themselves as trees and their lives together as a forest. She spoke about the interconnected root systems deep underground that anchor trees and absorb water and nutrients, the methods trees use to communicate stress and share resources, and the many ways they work in unison to sustain the forest as a whole—not just themselves.

“Forests don’t thrive because each tree is the tallest or the strongest; they flourish because they are connected.” she said. “EMU, we are a living forest, rooted in shared values and branching toward new possibilities. Every one of us—students, faculty, staff—brings something essential to this ecosystem.”

Thank you to everyone who helped make Opening Convocation a spirited success, and we are excited to “Sustain Together” this year!

Dr. Dycus has spent 15 years working in learning communities and ministry settings, including the past six years at EMU. She served as dean of students from 2019-2023 and as vice president of student affairs and dean of students from 2023-2024 before being promoted to her current role where she oversees the Student Life, DEI, and Athletics departments—and nurtures a co-curricular vision of social accountability, holistic well-being, and academic success for all students.

Dr. Dycus’ selection as interim president was approved by unanimous vote from the EMU Board of Trustees at a meeting on March 26. The decision followed a national search process that began after Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, EMU’s ninth president and first woman president, announced her retirement in October 2024, effective June 30, 2025. The Interim President Search committee included diverse representation from across the EMU community and was co-chaired by Dr. Jim Leaman ’86, associate professor of business and director of the business and leadership program, and Jane Hoober Peifer ‘75, MDiv ‘98, vice chair of the board.

“Shannon has proven her outstanding ability to set vision, listen well, and execute the best way forward as an EMU administrator, and she is a trusted and gifted spiritual leader,” said Peifer. “Shannon is committed to preparing EMU students to be peacebuilders in the world, and her collaborative and decisive leadership is needed in this climate of ever-changing higher education realities.”

“Despite the headwinds in higher education, EMU has established terrific momentum,” said Manuel (Manny) Nuñez ‘94, chair of the board. “A key piece of our success standing out in the world as peacebuilders is achieving academic excellence while maintaining fidelity to our Anabaptist faith tradition. Shannon brings both spiritual depth and strategic vision to the role of interim president—qualities that will serve EMU well in this season of opportunity.”

“I have always seen my own call to lead communities, in both education and ministerial contexts, toward our growth and becoming in relationship with each other and God,” said Dr. Dycus. “I look forward to leading EMU through this transitional moment and continuing its commitment to a values-based education that inspires achievement and compassion.”

Dr. Dycus has “made it a priority to support EMU students as they arrive on campus and to navigate barriers in their education” since 2019 when she created and led the C.A.R.E. Team, a proactive and coordinated response to addressing students and their well-being. In 2020 and 2024, she was awarded Department of Justice sexual violence prevention grants to fund EMU’s Safer Together office. She has worked with EMU Counseling Services to increase staffing and training for mental health support, and has been a staunch student advocate for peaceful responses to global injustices.

Dr. Dycus serves as a board member for Eastern Mennonite School and On the Road Collaborative. She is a Women in Leadership advisory board member for Mennonite Church USA. Prior to her time at EMU, Dr. Dycus served as an academic adviser and adjunct faculty member at Franklin University of Ohio (Indianapolis campus) and as co-pastor at First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis.

She received her doctor of ministry in public theology from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, a master of divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and her BA degree in middle and secondary education from Butler University.

Rooted in the values of academic excellence, peace and justice, and an active faith shaped by Anabaptist-Mennonite beliefs and practices, ˛ÝÝŽÉçÇř offers undergraduate, graduate and seminary degrees that prepare students to serve and lead in a global context. A leader among faith-based universities, EMU was founded in 1917 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has a site in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; students can study in person or online.

Visit Interim President Search for more information.

There’s a new morning talk show host in town, and she’s here to celebrate.

As a special Mornings with the Mayor edition of Convocation on Wednesday, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at EMU, stepped into the role of host as she interviewed several trailblazing women leaders making their mark on campus. The one-of-a-kind program, held at the Student Union, celebrated Women’s History Month and paid tribute to departing EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman.

Reed steered the show with her trademark candor and panache, holding court over the “live studio audience”—one student could be seen regularly holding up an “Applause” sign—while she posed fascinating questions to EMU students, staff, and alumnae. “It’s the show where we bring you big energy, great conversations, and way too much coffee,” quipped Reed.

The first guests to grace the stage were a pair of EMU students, Arelys Martinez Fabian and Meredith Lehman, and a recent alumna, Ray Ray Taylor MS ’24. Fabian, co-president of Student Government Association, highlighted the increased representation of women in campus leadership roles. Taylor, a lab instructor who was a track and field team, called for erasing negative stereotypes and for supporting women in sports. When asked about which woman in history she would share a meal with, Lehman, a Rhodes Scholar studying at Washington Community Scholars’ Center, answered that she had recently heard about Zheng Yi Sao, a pirate leader active in the South China Sea from 1801 to 1810. “She was one of the most successful pirates in a time where you don’t really hear about female pirates,” Lehman said. “I would ask her where she pulls from to gain confidence and belief in herself”

Another panel discussion featured three powerhouse administrative leaders who are “changing the game in education and beyond”: Carrie Bert, Dr. Shannon Dycus, and Dr. Tynisha Willingham. Asked to provide her younger self advice, Bert, EMU athletic director, said she would’ve told her to pause and breathe to appreciate the moment. Dycus, vice president for Student Affairs, Equity and Belonging, shared some tough conversations she had when starting in her role about fighting hard to be heard. Willingham spoke about unique challenges she’s faced as a woman provost. “I think we often still see that even when women are in leadership roles, they are expected to be nurturing and can’t be as direct,” she said.

Clad in her signature royal blue pantsuit, Huxman, the featured headliner for Reed’s morning show, bounded down the aisle and shined in the spotlight. Huxman is EMU’s ninth president, the first woman to lead in the role, and is retiring this summer after nine years of service. She joked about some unexpected lessons learned over those years. “I started with a closet that had five blue outfits,” she said. “It’s half my closet now, skirts and outfits like this, and even shoes.”

She also spoke about forming closer connections between the university and city, colloquially known as the “town and gown relationship,” during her time at EMU. Early on, she said, she had visited with elected officials, educators and business leaders who told her they had never stepped foot on EMU’s campus. “I tried to work, especially in that first year, to get folks to campus,” she said. “I brought the delegates and our elected representatives up to my office. And, again, they said, ‘Well, I’ve been an elected representative for 12, 15 years, and I’ve never been in the president’s office.’”

At a time when many colleges across the nation are shuttering their DEI programs, EMU is doubling down on its commitment to the initiatives that bolster diversity, equity and inclusion and make all students on campus feel welcome. Huxman spoke about initiatives she’s witnessed over her two terms, including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration started by Celeste Thomas during her second year as president, the Black Lives Matter mural—the only city in Virginia with a BLM street mural, Reed said—the establishment of the Office of DEI, the start of the Lavender Graduation, and the institutional statement on land acknowledgement. “It is EMU’s time to lean into DEI,” Huxman said. “It’s wrapped into our mission, it’s wrapped into our vision and values, it’s wrapped into the Sermon on the Mount. And this is who we are as a faith-based institution.”

Asked about which woman she would share a meal with, Huxman answered Ida B. Wells, a journalist and co-founder of the NAACP. “Every time I reread her biography, I just think, how did somebody walk the earth of this magnitude?” said Huxman, regaling the crowd with tales of Wells’ accomplishments. “…I always think that, in a very real sense, the graduates from our university at EMU are well-prepared to be peace and justice advocates like Ida B. Wells.”

A special treat honoring the president was free for those attending the event. Baristas at Common Grounds Coffeehouse whipped up mugs of the “Hux Deluxe,” a vanilla latte with a little cinnamon sugar on top. “I love that it’s a latte and it has cinnamon on it,” Huxman said. “Somebody knows I like that.” 

The interviews were interspersed with video segments documenting powerful EMU alumnae who are shaping the world. These included Khadija O. Ali MA ’01, who became the first female state minister of the Somalian government and serves as an ambassador for the country, and Najla El Mangoush MA ’15, who was the first female foreign minister of Libya. Another video showcased the legacy of the late Sadie Hartzler, EMU’s first full-time librarian whose name graces the library today.

Mukarabe, a student at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who fled genocide in Burundi in 1993, read from a poem and led the crowd in a moment of silence for women persecuted around the world. She was joined by her husband Makinto, a student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, as they performed music to cap off the event. Together, they shared “Amahoro,” a Kirundi cultural expression conveying peace and God’s blessings, through song.

Braydon Hoover, vice president for enrollment, served as sidekick/announcer for “Mornings with the Mayor.”