Chicago Area Alabama A&M Alumni Prepare for Historic Game

As Alabama A&M University prepares to take part in the first HBCU Classic at Wrigley Field on May 2, one of its distinguished alumnae is celebrating the moment from a place of leadership, legacy and deep Bulldog pride.

Dr. Shantay N. Bolton, president of Columbia College Chicago, is among several Alabama A&M alumni in Chicago being highlighted ahead of the historic game. President Bolton began her tenure in July 2025 and is currently in her first year of leadership. Recently installed as the college’s 11th president, she is also the first Black woman to hold the role in the institution’s 135-year history.

Her investiture ceremony, themed “Renaissance Rising: 135 Years Bold,” marked both a personal milestone and the beginning of a transformative era for Columbia College Chicago. For Bolton, however, the journey to that stage began on The Hill.

“Alabama A&M University provided me with a strong academic foundation and a deep sense of purpose,” said Bolton. “My time there cultivated my intellectual curiosity and leadership capacity, specifically through the rigorous training I received in the psychology department.”

A native of St. Louis and a two-time Alabama A&M graduate, Bolton earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in counseling psychology from the University, along with an MBA from Florida International University and a Ph.D. in organizational psychology from Walden University.

Her career spans more than two decades in senior leadership, including executive roles at  Washington University in St. Louis and Tulane University, where she founded the Tulane University Leadership Institute (TULI) and the Institute for Leadership Excellence (ILE) at Washington University. She also served as executive vice president and chief business officer at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she managed a $3.1 billion enterprise.

She is the creator of E3©: Engage, Educate, Empower—an action learning model for employee engagement and coaching used to build high-performing teams across government, corporate, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. 

President Bolton was recently named a 2026 Daniel Burnham Fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago. Her honors also include Crain’s Chicago Business Who’s Who in Education, the W.E.B. Du Bois Higher Education Leadership Award, Titan 100 (St. Louis and Georgia), and recognition as a Top 25 Chief Business Officer by Women We Admire. She is a fellow of the Chicago Leadership Circle, a joint initiative of Crain’s Chicago Business and the University of Chicago Graham School, and an active member of the Economic Club of Chicago.

At Columbia College Chicago, she is now leading a three-year strategic initiative focused on stabilizing enrollment, strengthening the institution’s brand and expanding opportunities for student success. Central to that work is the Renaissance Innovation for Student Excellence fund, designed to directly support retention and academic achievement.

“I am particularly committed to ensuring our students are prepared for the creative economy,” she said. “That includes the ethical and innovative integration of artificial intelligence into the arts and media.”

Even as she leads a major institution in one of the nation’s largest cities, Bolton remains closely connected to Alabama A&M. A Silver Life Member of the Alabama A&M National Alumni Association and an international leadership trainer for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., she continues to invest in the next generation of leaders shaped by HBCUs.

“Alabama A&M remains deeply connected to me because it is foundational to my identity and my leadership trajectory,” she said. “I am committed to giving back through mentorship and by supporting the University’s mission to develop the next generation of global leaders.”

That connection is rooted not only in academics, but in community. As a former student-athlete involved in campus life, Bolton said Alabama A&M taught her lessons that still guide her leadership style today.

“One of the most enduring lessons from my time on The Hill is the importance of collective resilience and community,” she said. “Alabama A&M taught me that success is never achieved in isolation; it is the result of shared commitment and mutual support. This lesson guides my inclusive leadership approach today as I work to build a stronger, more connected community within Columbia College Chicago.”

That spirit of unity is part of what makes the upcoming HBCU Classic at Wrigley Field so meaningful. The event, hosted in partnership with the Chicago Cubs and Black Baseball Media, will bring together alumni, students and supporters from across the country in a national celebration of HBCU culture and excellence.

Bolton hopes to be among them.

“I am looking forward to the HBCU Classic at Wrigley Field,” she said. “It is with the utmost hope that my schedule permits me to be in attendance. Events like this are powerful celebrations of culture and tradition. I look forward to seeing the students, community and alumni come together to honor the excellence and spirit of HBCUs in such an iconic venue.”

For Bolton, the moment is more than a game. It is a reflection of the institutions that shaped her and the communities she continues to serve.

“Alabama A&M University holds a special place in my heart,” she said. “I am proud to be a Bulldog and remain dedicated to uplifting the legacy and future of our institutions.”

Photo by Julie Lucas, photographer at Columbia College Chicago