Top News

Dr. Layli Maparyan, UCL Co-Founder, Appointed 16th President of the University of Liberia

January 17, 2025
/ / /

For Immediate Release
January 14,2025

                         

For more information, please contact Hon. Cynthia L. Blandford
                                                                                                          at +1 678-612-2192 or cblandford@UCLiberia.com

 

UCL Co-Founder and Board Member Appointed as the 16th President of the University of Liberia

As President and Co-Founder of the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL), I am delighted to announce that the UCL Co-Founder and Board Member Dr. Layli Maparyan, wasappointed the 16th President of the University of Liberia (UL) on Friday, January 10, 2025,at the Fendall Campus, Louisiana, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia. On thissame occasion, His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic ofLiberia, received the Doctor of Laws Degree (Honoris Causa).

I was honored to witness the inauguration of my friend and colleague Dr. Layli Maparyan, along with distinguishedGovernment of Liberia Officials and UL Board of Trustees including Hon. Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Minister of Education,Hon. Augustine K. Ngafuan, Minister of Finance & Development Planning, Hon. Senator Numene T.H. Bartekwa, UL BoardChair, and other UL Trustees, former Presidents of UL, students, faculty, faculty senate, alumni, staff, administrators, other University Presidents, and guests, who shared in this auspicious occasion. Professor Al-Hassan Conteh, PhD., former UL Acting President and 12th UL President, also gave his farewell address after passing the baton to the new President.

Dr. Maparyan’s inaugural address was inspiring and uplifting as she outlined her values as the incoming President of UL, with the “Five Es” to include Education, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Excellence, and Ethics. As the UCL President, I have personally witnessed these qualities in Dr. Maparyan firsthand and know that she will be an outstanding leader. As an alumna of UL (1975), I look forward to working with her to help bring UL up to international standards.

His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia and Visitor ofthe University of Liberia, appointed Dr. Layli Maparyan as the 16th President of the University of Liberia, founded in 1951, formerly Liberia College founded in 1862. This historic appointment follows the approval of the   University’s Board of Trustees inaccordance with the University of Liberia’s Charter.

In his letter of appointment, President Boakai expressed confidence in Dr. Maparyan’s ability, integrity, and extensive experience, emphasizing his trust that she would demonstrate these qualities in service to the University and the nation. Her selection followed a rigorous search process conducted by the University of Liberia Board of Trustees’ Search Committee, which identified her as a leading candidate for the position, so stated the Press Release from the Executive Mansion.

Dr. Maparyan holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Temple University and an M.S. in Psychology from Penn State University. She earned her undergraduate degree in Philosophy (cum laude) from Spelman College. She has a distinguished academic career, having served as Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at Georgia StateUniversity’s Women’s Studies Institute and Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Psychology and Institute for African American Studies.

Dr. Maparyan was the first post-war Fulbright Specialist at the University of Liberia in 2010. She has also been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Citizen Award for Service to the Liberian Community (2009). Dr. Maparyan, who is married to a Liberian, will officially assume her duties as President on January 10, 2025, the day of her induction.

In December 2024, the UCL Board approved two new board members including Mr. Jerome Barnard, and Adem Sonii. Jerome received a Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) from A. Romeo Horton College of Business & Public Administration, University of Liberia in 2017, a Master of Public Administration (MPA), McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California in 2024, and he is currently a PhD Candidate of Global Health Ethics, Duquesne University of the Catholic Holy Spirit, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jerome was also a recipient of the UCL scholarship program. Adem Sonii, of Atlanta, Georgia, received a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology University of West Georgia and an MBA in Business Management from the University ofGeorgia in 2024. Adem was also instrumental in providing leadership to the UCL’s scholarship fundraising dinner and activities. We welcome these two outstanding young Liberians who will continue to make great contributions to theUCL.

UCL is dedicated to coordinating diverse academic efforts between Liberia and the global community. Since 2009,UCL has collaborated with students, university faculty, and other academic professionals to increase learning in Liberia and the United States. Honorable Blandford and Dr. Maparyan were instrumental in securing a :5 million, 5-year USAID grant to establish a Center of Excellence for Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation Leadershipand Green Enterprise Development (the FBC Center) at the University of Liberia Fendell Campus. Collaborating partners include the University of Georgia (UGA; lead institution), the University of Liberia (UL), the Forestry Training Institute (FTI), Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU), Tuskegee University (TU), theWellesley Centers for Women (WCW) at Wellesley College, the University Consortium for Liberia (UCL) in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Resilient Africa Network (RAN) in Uganda.

For more information on the UCL, please visit our website at www.UCLiberia.com.

Photo Credits: Matthew Jacobs

 

 

 

 

Read More

Historic Appointment: Dr. Layli Maparyan Named President of the University of Liberia

January 8, 2025
/ / /

Press Release

President Boakai Appoints Dr. Layli Maparyan as President of the University of Liberia

January 4, 2025

Executive Mansion, Monrovia: His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia and Visitor to the University of Liberia, has appointed Dr. Layli Maparyan as the 16th President of the University of Liberia. This historic appointment follows the approval of the University’s Board of Trustees in accordance with the University of Liberia’s Charter.

In his letter of appointment, President Boakai expressed confidence in Dr. Maparyan’s ability, integrity, and extensive experience, emphasizing his trust that she would demonstrate these qualities in service to the University and the nation.

Dr. Maparyan, a distinguished academic and prolific scholar, is currently the Executive Director of the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW) and a Professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA. Her selection followed a rigorous search process conducted by the University of Liberia Board of Trustees’ Search Committee, which identified her as a leading candidate for the position.

Dr. Maparyan holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from Temple University and an M.S. in Psychology from Penn State University. She earned her undergraduate degree in Philosophy (cum laude) from Spelman College. She has a distinguished academic career, having served as Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at Georgia State University’s Women’s Studies Institute and Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Psychology and Institute for African American Studies.

Her ties to Liberia date back to her tenure as a Fulbright Specialist at the University of Liberia in 2010. She has also been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Citizen Award for Service to the Liberian Community (2009) and theFulbright Specialist Program Award.

In accordance with Article IV, Section 1 of the University’s Charter, President Boakai nominated Dr. Maparyan for the role on December 18, 2024. The Board of Trustees subsequently convened on December 23, 2024, and unanimously approved her nomination. Dr. Maparyan, who is married to a Liberian, will officially assume her duties as President on January 10, 2025, the day of her induction.

The University of Liberia and the nation at large welcome Dr. Maparyan’s leadership and look forward to her contributions to advancing higher education and fostering academic excellence in Liberia.

Signed:
Kula Bonah Nyei Fofana
Presidential Press Secretary
——————-
For Media Inquiries, Contact: Office of the Presidential Press Secretary | Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs,
Executive Mansion, 2nd Floor, Monrovia Liberia | Email: info.ppresssecretarylib@gmail.com | Phone: +231-881-006008 (WhatsApp) |www.emansion.gov.lr
Read More

Opportunity Liberia Forum

May 17, 2022
/ / /
Opportunity Liberia Forum
by Houston international Trade Development Council 
Date and timeWed, May 18, 2022
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
 
LocationInternational Trade Center Houston, Texas
11110 Bellaire Blvd.
Houston, TX 77082 

HITDC and the Consulate of Liberia-Ga with guest speakers from the US Embassy in Liberia, Government, and the private sector(Live Stream)About this event

Join Houston International Trade Development Council and the Consulate of Liberia-Ga. as we explore limitless opportunities in the United States’ most loyal ally and one of the fastest-growing nations on the continent of Africa! The Republic of Liberia! This forum will be a hybrid, in-person and virtual with guest speakers from the US Embassy in Liberia, Government, and the private sector. In person and Live Streamed by Creed Global Media.

Opportunity Liberian Forum

When:  Wed May 18, 2022 10:30am – 12pm Central Time – Chicago

Where: Hybrid – Virtual and in person event. Click on the button to register.Who:  Val@houstontrade.org & creedglobalmedia@gmail.com
Read More

International Partnership to Host Workshops to Prevent Human Trafficking in Liberia

September 8, 2021
/ / /

Wellesley, Mass. | 09/09/2021 — Together with academic, NGO, and private sector partners, the Wellesley Centers for Women will hold two workshops to address the problem of human trafficking in Liberia.

Human trafficking in Liberia has long been a pernicious form of violence affecting women and children, especially those most economically vulnerable. It has been flagged as a critical issue by the United Nations, and has put a damper on business development and private sector investment in Liberia. In the U.S. Department of State’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report, Liberia’s status declined from its ranking the previous year, raising concerns. The government of Liberia has taken recent strides to address trafficking by forming an interagency commission, and WCW will bolster those efforts with these workshops funded by the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia.

Read More