![Whitney McDowell-Robinson, Ph.D., vice president for student development and engagement](https://www.brenau.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/C41A7A3E-68EF-4789-BFC8-77106E4425BA-1.jpg)
Brenau University’s Vice President of Student Development & Engagement Whitney McDowell-Robinson, Ph. D., NCC, was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders for Atlanta in 2024 by Women We Admire.
“I am honored to be recognized by Women We Admire and to be included among this 2024 class of stellar women,” McDowell-Robinson said. “The leaders highlighted are leaving indelible marks, personally and professionally, while serving as models for others to follow.”
McDowell-Robinson joined Brenau in 2023. As the vice president of SD&E, she oversees student life and leadership, career services, undergraduate engagement, residence life, and the Center for Health and Well-being, which includes counseling services. She is also an adjunct professor in the College of Education.
In addition to the Women We Admire recognition, she was the recipient of the 2021 Lifestyle Education and Resource Services’ Community Service and Enhancement Award; the 2020 NACE/Spelman Johnson Rising Star Award; and the 2018 Outstanding Career Services Professional (MACE). McDowell-Robinson was also placed in the 2017 Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Mississippi Hall of Fame, and honored as a 2017 Tougaloo College “40 Under 40” award recipient.
McDowell-Robinson earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Tougaloo College, a Master of Science degree in clinical mental health counseling from Jackson State University, and her doctorate in Urban Higher Education also from Jackson State University. She is also a national board-certified mental health counselor. Her full biography can be found in the Brenau directory.
According to Women We Admire, Atlanta stands as the eleventh largest economy in the United States, and ranks among the top 25 economies globally, coming in at No. 22. McDowell-Robinson is listed among female executives from Coca-Cola, Delta, and Warner Bros.