Professor: Olivia Janay Cook, Ph.D.
eMPA Adjunct Professor
Area(s) of Instruction: Research Methods and Public Administration.
Dr. Olivia Janay Cook is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Judge U.W. Clemon Center for Economic and Social Justice at Miles College. In her role she serves as the chief advisor to the president regarding the full erection of the Center by addressing inequalities within underrepresented communities through five impact areas: economics, entrepreneurship, health, leadership, and technology. Since joining the team in August 2021, Dr. Cook has helped the Center for Economic and Social Justice secure almost a half a million dollars in funding through grants from the Alabama Power Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, The Caring Foundation (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama), and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Dr. Cook’s research career emerged as she investigated how to reduce the porosity in aircraft wings using carbon fiberglass and polyisocyanurate. Her findings resulted in significant savings and gross profits across several companies in the aviation industry. Additionally, she has also made significant contributions to the field of healthcare as she spearheaded improvement in the overall patient experience and reduction in wait-time to see a healthcare provider. Because of her strategic attention to detail, she has consulted for state agencies and academic departments on leadership, economic development, and diversity and inclusion where her research has amassed over 3.5 million impressions.
Professor: Anthony J. Snipes
eMPA Adjunct Professor
Area(s) of Instruction: Research Methods and Public Administration.
Veteran municipal administrator Anthony J. Snipes provided over 25 years of service in local government and the non-profit arena. In April 2020, Snipes was awarded the 2020 Public Official of the Year by the University of Houston. Continuing his efforts of working with cities and counties across the State of Texas, he now serves as the Regional Director for Texas with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which is a $1.9B non-profit organization having a presence in 44 countries and 16 states. In this role, he provides oversight of all the Texas Healthcare Clinics, thrift shops, and pharmacies in Texas, while also being responsible for providing guidance and leading expansion efforts for the organization’s business line focused on affordable housing. Most recently, Mr. Snipes was appointed to serve as an Adjunct Professor at Texas Southern University’s EMPA Program.
He previously served as City Manager of Missouri City, Texas, a dynamically diverse community of 75,000 located in Fort Bend County and is recognized as one of America’s “Best” places to live. Mr. Snipes oversaw about 354 full-time employees and a combined annual budget of more than $105 million. Before joining the ‘Show Me City’, Mr. Snipes was a municipal executive in different capacities for Dayton, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; and Austin, Texas. In all three cities, he implemented proactive programs and led innovative initiatives that set a standard of excellence.
Mr. Snipes’ career includes achievements in strategic initiatives that involve budgeting and performance management, public/private partnerships, and organizational development. He holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from Mercer University and MPA from Florida State University. He has earned numerous accolades for inspiring his teams with clarity of purpose and leading them toward a shared view of collective goals.
Snipes takes great pride in serving his community. He was recently appointed to serve as President of the Missouri City Parks Foundation. He also served as the National President of the National Forum for Black Public Administration (NFBPA) from 2019-2020. He also volunteers with the Project Alpha Reading program.
Professor: Carroll G. Robinson, Esq.
eMPA Adjunct Professor
Area(s) of Instruction: Public Administration
Attorney Carroll G. Robinson is a former At-Large Houston City Council Member who has served on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities and is a past President of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members.
Attorney Robinson is an Associate Professor of Public Administration and Political Science at Texas Southern University’s Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs where he has twice served as an Associate Dean and Executive Assistant to two Presidents of the university.
Additionally, professor Robinson has taught at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas and has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System.
Finally, professor Robinson has served as Chief of Staff and General Counsel to a former Texas State Senator and as Chairman of the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce.
