HWS News
2 April 2026 • Alums New Faculty Appointments for Vincent ’83
Gregory J. Vincent will teach higher education law at Ohio State. He also joins Kansas State’s graduate faculty.
Civil rights attorney and higher education leader Gregory J. Vincent ’83 will return to his alma mater, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, as a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence beginning in Fall 2026.
Vincent, who previously served as president of Hobart and William Smith, will teach “Current Issues in Higher Education,” exploring the rapidly evolving legal and policy landscape shaping colleges and universities. The course examines topics including faculty and institutional governance, student rights and legal protections, equity and access, and “Name, Image and Likeness” rights concerning student athletes.
“I am honored to return to my alma mater to engage students on the pressing legal and policy challenges shaping higher education today,” Vincent says. “Remarkably, I last taught Higher Education Law in 2022 as Professor of Educational Policy and Law at the University of Kentucky – just 4 years later, I am completely reworking the syllabus. The landscape has evolved rapidly.”
Returning to Moritz holds special significance for Vincent, who credits the institution with shaping his career in law and higher education leadership.
At Moritz, Vincent and his wife, Kim Wilson Vincent HON’21, established the Gregory J. Vincent Scholarship, which provides support for an outstanding student pursuing law. The scholarship helps close the gap for students with demonstrated need. Vincent has also served on the Moritz National Council since 2008, broadening opportunities and access to legal education.
“Returning to Moritz is especially meaningful because it was a full scholarship there that made my own path possible, allowing me to graduate without debt,” he says. “The experience was foundational. That’s why my wife Kim and I are committed to paying it forward.”
In addition to his appointment at Ohio State, Vincent has been unanimously elected to the Graduate Faculty at Kansas State University, where he will serve on and co-chair doctoral dissertation committees in the Educational Leadership program. Over the course of his academic career, he has advised or chaired more than 20 doctoral students, many of whom now hold faculty and leadership positions at major research universities.
Vincent also continues his work as CEO of Gregory J. Vincent Law and Vincent Strategies LLC, where he consults on issues related to civil rights, higher education and nonprofit leadership, as well as CEO of 360 NIL Group, cofounded with Hon. Ludwig P. Gaines ’88, a consulting firm dedicated to helping mission-driven colleges and universities succeed in NIL while preparing student-athletes for life beyond the game.
In April 2022, Vincent was named the 21st President of Talladega College, Alabama’s oldest private historically Black liberal arts college. Following his tenure as the President of Hobart and William Smith, he led Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boulé) as its 48th Grand Sire Archon (CEO and Chairman). He later served as Executive Director of the University of Kentucky Civil Rights and Education Initiative in collaboration with the NAACP and as a professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation.
Previously, Vincent was Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement, W.K. Kellogg Professor of Community College Leadership and Professor of Law at the University of Texas at Austin. Earlier in his career, he served as assistant attorney general in the Office of the Ohio Attorney General.
As a student at HWS, Vincent was a residential adviser and a member of Hobart Student Government and the Hobart cross country, track and basketball teams. Following his graduation with bachelor’s degrees in history and economics, he earned a J.D. from Ohio State and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.
He has been a frequent contributor to Hobart and William Smith, donating to the Statesmen Athletic Association, the Annual Fund and for the renovations and expansion of the Adams Intercultural Center. Recently, he presented the inaugural Dr. Gregory J. Vincent Leadership Service Award to Delores Amponsah '25.
Vincent is also a member of the Wheeler Society. Established at HWS in 1989, the Wheeler Society encourages those who wish to leave a lasting legacy on campus to do so through thoughtful planned giving.
He was awarded an Alumni Citation in 2023 for his service and contributions to Hobart College.
