Dr. Summers brings a wealth of administrative and educational experience to her role as vice president for academic affairs, overseeing the educational policies and programs at Olivet. She was appointed to this position in 2015 following her work as Olivet’s associate vice president for academic support and professor.
She has more than 25 years of experience in higher education. Her areas of expertise include leadership, program development, curriculum development and systemic change. She is also an experienced consultant for learning styles, team building, intrapersonal and interpersonal leadership.
Her career in higher education began at Olivet when she was an adult student working in the then Department of Education. She subsequently served in several capacities: as an instructor for education and psychology courses; as assistant to the registrar; as an administrative assistant and later associate dean and then dean of the graduate school; as director of admissions and student services; and as a professor of education. In 2004, Dr. Summers was named as Olivet's Faculty Member of the Year.
From 2007 to 2014 at Trevecca Nazarene University, she simultaneously held the positions of associate provost, dean of academic affairs and chief academic officer. While at Trevecca, she was the 2010 Commencement Speaker and a member of the President's Cabinet from 2007 to 2014. She led the development of Trevecca's first totally online academic degree, the Master of Organizational Leadership; development of the Center for Leadership, Calling, and Service (student success center); and development of the undergraduate research emphasis in the Quality Enhancement Plan.
As a professor, she has taught undergraduate courses in education, business and psychology, and graduate courses in education and business. She has also written curriculum for undergraduate and graduate courses in personal leadership development.