Alumnus Appointed Chaplain for Claremont Colleges

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Two key leadership appointments were announced today by Claremont University Consortium, the nationally recognized service organization for the Claremont Colleges. Anya Camille Booker, M.F.A., was named Dean/Director of the Office of Black Student Affairs (OBSA), and Reverend Brad J. Tharpe, M.Div., was selected as Protestant Chaplain for the Inter-Faith Chaplaincy of the Claremont Colleges.

Ms. Booker received her B.A. in African American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. She obtained a Masters in Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Film from The American Film Institute in Los Angeles and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Ms. Booker’s background includes both administrative and teaching experience. She served as the Director of African American Student Development in the Multicultural Student Development program at UC Berkeley for five years and held the position of Writing Program Director/Lecturer at the Student Learning Center at UC Berkeley for four years. Ms. Booker has over ten years of experience teaching courses in English and Composition such as Creative Writing, Critical and Argumentative Writing, and Pedagogy and Practice for Writing Tutors at UC Berkeley, Cerritos College, and DiabloValley College.

Ms. Booker noted her professional career continuously relects her life’s passion as a teacher, scholar, and artist. “Whether in the role of faculty or staff, advocacy and support of African American students has been central to my commitment,” she said. Her position with OBSA is effective July 16, 2012.

Rev. Tharpe received his B.A. in Religious Studies and Classical Studies from Vanderbilt University, Nashville. He completed the Clinical Pastoral Education, Level 1, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, obtained his Master of Divinity from Wake Forest University School of Divinity, and was ordained to the Christian Ministry by the First Baptist Church, Winston-Salem, N.C. Rev. Tharpe served as the Director of Spiritual Life at DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind., for four years. He also served as the Associate Director for the Master of Arts in Bioethics and Administrative Director for the Center for Bioethics, Health and Society for four years. He has made presentations at numerous professional organizations including the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals, the Institute on College Student Values, and the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. He is a member of the National Association of College and University Chaplains and is an active member of Vanderbilt University’s Phi Beta Kappa.

Rev. Tarpe stated his goal is to foster a context in which others can excel. “My work in pastoral care and counseling, worship and study, programmatic offerings and administration, aim toward this end,” he said. His position at the Inter-Faith Chaplaincy of the Claremont Colleges is effective August 1, 2012.

Claremont University Consortium (CUC) is a service company that is a national leader in providing academic and business services. CUC provides 28 shared programs and services for the Claremont Colleges, the internationally renowned cluster of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions serving more than 6,000 students. The Consortium offers the expansive physical facilities and wide selection of courses, faculty, student services, and extracurricular activities of a university,and the personalized education of small private colleges. The Consortium, founded in 1925, includes Pomona College (established in 1887), Claremont Graduate University (1925), Scripps College (1926), Claremont McKenna College (1946), Harvey Mudd College (1955), Pitzer College (1963), and the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences (1997).

Media Contact:
Barbara Jefferson, PR Director
Claremont University Consortium
101 S. Mills Avenue Claremont, CA, 91711
Phone: (909)-607-7431
Email: bjefferson@nullcuc.claremont.edu