His appointment by the Fisk board of trustees was unanimous, according to a press release. “Fisk has finished consecutive years with an operational surplus and is really bucking the trend on a host of fronts in large part due to the leadership of Dr. Newkirk,” board chair Frank Sims said. During Newkirk’s tenure, the school has launched bioinformatics, data science and social justice programs. Among his goals, according to the release, are enrollment growth, adding new programs, expanding corporate partnerships, improving student outcomes and “building national awareness around Fisk’s outstanding results.”