VP of Student Success
Dr. Ala’Torya V. Cranford is a nationally recognized higher education executive and proud alumna of Paine College, currently serving as Vice President for Student Success and Enrollment Management. With over 15 years of progressive leadership experience across Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and public land-grant institutions, she is widely respected for designing transformational student success frameworks that increase retention, strengthen enrollment pipelines, and elevate holistic student development.
In her executive role, Dr. Cranford provides strategic oversight for Athletics, Residential Life, Student Government Association, Student Activities, Greek Life, Career Services, Retention, TRiO, and comprehensive student support services. She leads with a data-informed, mission-centered approach that aligns student engagement, academic support, and co-curricular programming to institutional strategic priorities, accreditation standards, and fiscal sustainability.
Prior to returning to Paine College, Dr. Cranford served in senior leadership roles including Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students at Lane College; Executive Director of the Freshman Academy and Honors Program at Alabama A&M University, where she oversaw a $2.3 million Title III portfolio; and Director of First- and Second-Year Experience at Fort Valley State University, where she led initiatives contributing to a 15% increase in first-to-second-year retention. Throughout her career, she has secured federal funding, strengthened advising infrastructures, restructured honors and academic recovery models, and expanded experiential learning opportunities for students.
A scholar-practitioner, Dr. Cranford earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Paine College, a Master of Science in Higher Education, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. Her research, focused on student engagement at historically Black colleges and universities, contributes to national dialogue on equity, belonging, and institutional culture. She has presented at more than 25 national conferences and leadership institutes and contributes thought leadership to HBCU-centered publications.
Her leadership has earned national and regional recognition, including HBCU Top 30 Under 30, Paine College Top 40 Under 40, and Jackson, Tennessee’s Influential Women of the Year (2025). She currently serves as Vice President of Programs for the UNCF National Alumni Council Executive Board and remains actively engaged in national higher education leadership networks such the Higher Education Leadership Fellow and the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute.
Dr. Cranford is also the Founder of To Inspire One, LLC, a leadership and college-readiness consultancy dedicated to empowering students to transition successfully from high school to higher education and beyond. Grounded in authenticity, strategic innovation, and an unwavering commitment to student-centered excellence, Dr. Cranford leads with the belief that institutions must be student-ready, equity-driven, and courageously transformative.