Less than three years ago, Rosie Phillips Bingham, Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Memphis, won a lifetime achievement award from the Black Student Association at the university.
Today, Bingham was named the winner of the 2015 American Psychological Association (APA) Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Institutional Practice. She will receive the award at the APA convention in Toronto this August.
Bingham was very excited to have won the award. As a psychologist who takes pride in her devotion to the students at the university, she stated that winning the award was very unexpected and expressed gratitude towards her accomplishment.
“I am totally honored, surprised, and humbled,” Bingham said.
She is also excited about her trip to Toronto and stated that she attends the APA conventions yearly and the conventions are held in Washington D.C. every three years.
Bingham’s dream job was to direct a counseling center. She had no idea she’d become an Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and the first African American to serve as Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Memphis since 2003.
“It is a big honor to be the first African American Vice President of Student Affairs at The University of Memphis,” Bingham said. “My dad was a sanitation worker when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was here and my high school French teacher was one of the people who helped desegregate the schools here so I was honored.”
As a P. H.D student, Dr. Bingham met and was inspired by the famous poet, author, and civil rights activist, Dr. Maya Angelou. She said that she was supposed to be writing a dissertation and was stuck. Dr. Maya Angelou signed the book she had of hers called “Singin’ Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas”.
“That was a fabulous experience,” Bingham said. “She wrote in my book ‘Go on PHD’. That inspired me to go right to work.”
Bingham has served as president of three national professional organizations, she is the co-founder of black scholars unlimited, and served as the founder and organizer of the first and second National Multicultural Conferences and Summits of the American Psychological Association.
As a leader of various organizations, Dr. Bingham is well known for leadership. She is a founding member of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis. The work she does for the organizations doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Dr. Bingham represents inspiration and dedication, and she epitomizes giving with heart, hand, and treasure,” Ruby Bright, the Women’s Foundation Executive Director said. “Her example of leadership will inspire anyone to greater heights of community service.”
Bingham has accomplished so much in her life and has decided to keep her future goals as simple and fulfilling as possible.
“My goal is to come to work and do my very best for the students everyday and if I get an award in the process, that’s just gravy,” Bingham said.
