Rucker has more than 10 years of service with Southeast in various roles. A Missouri native from Sikeston, Rucker first joined Southeast from 2000-03 as a tutorial coordinator in the TRIO Program, Student Support Services. She returned in 2015 as the University’s director of institutional equity and diversity/Title IX coordinator. She was promoted to an assistant to the president for equity and diversity and dean of students in 2017. In Sept. 2020 the division of equity, access and behavioral health was formed, and Rucker was appointed vice president of the division while remaining the dean of students.

“Sonia has made a lasting impact at Southeast and she will be missed by students, faculty and staff,” said President Carlos Vargas. “I have learned so much from her through her leadership and our one-on-one conversations where she shared her life experiences and perspective, which has had a profound impact on how I view issues of equity and diversity.”

Rucker will join Cornell next month as their associate vice president of the Department of Inclusion and Belonging and the staff representative on the Presidential Advisors on Diversity and Equity.  She previously worked at Cornell for nine years, including as associate director for counseling and community outreach in the Office of Minority Educational Affairs; as a crisis manager for the Dean of Students’ Office; and as associate director in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion for the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management.

“One of Sonia’s lasting contributions at Southeast is how she embraced the work of the President’s Task Force on Diversity Education,” said Vargas. “Since the release of the task force report in December of 2015, she has turned the 9 recommendations into realities at Southeast.”