Dafina Blacksher Diabate

Biography

Dafina Blacksher Diabate earned her doctorate in higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently the Program Director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics at the University of Delaware.

Dr. Diabate brings 20 years of experience in program management, international education and higher education leadership. Prior to WLI, Dr. Diabate served as the Director of International Programs at Lincoln University, where she provided leadership for international programs, partnerships and strategy at one of the nation’s oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Dr. Diabate previously served as the Associate Director of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), where she managed daily operations of the Secretariat based at Duke University.

Dr. Diabate earned her bachelor’s in psychology from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a master’s in Africana studies from Cornell University.

Education

• Ed.D. in higher education management, University of Pennsylvania
• M.P.S. in Africana studies, Cornell University
• B.A. in psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor