Women To Watch Awards 2026 honors Dr. Delores V. Mullings

Dr. Delores V. Mullings is an award-winning global leadership convener, institution builder, scholar, strategist, author, and speaker whose work advances leadership, equity, and institutional transformation across organizations, higher education, and communities. She is a Full Professor in the School of Social Work at Memorial University and a former Interim Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Chair in Teaching and Learning.

Dr. Mullings served as the first Vice-Provost (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism) at Memorial University, where she built a university-wide EDI-AR office from the ground up, led extensive multi-campus consultations involving thousands of participants, and positioned the institution on the national and international stage through policy development, international conferences, strategic partnerships, and community engagement initiatives.

Throughout her career, Dr. Mullings has worked at the intersection of leadership, organizational transformation, research, and community impact. She has led and contributed to major national and international research initiatives addressing leadership, mental health, aging, resilience, equity, and social change. Her scholarship includes influential work on Africentric social work, resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the experiences of diverse communities navigating complex social and institutional systems.

As Founder and President of Mullings Global Institute (MGI), Dr. Mullings brings together women leaders from around the world to share knowledge, strengthen leadership capacity, and foster meaningful connections across sectors and borders. Most recently, she convened Beyond the Threshold, a global consultation series for women in senior leadership and those who aspire to get there; this initiative created a space for dialogue, learning, and collective wisdom among women leaders worldwide.

Dr. Mullings is also an accomplished author whose work spans academic, professional, and creative writing. She is co-editor of In Her Arms: Love and Legacy of Black Mothers and Daughters (2025) and author of a debut poetry collection Black Girl in the Ring (2026).

Her contributions to leadership, education, research, and community engagement have been recognized through numerous honours, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, the Ackee Tree Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, the President's Award for Outstanding Teacher (Undergraduate) and the President's Award for Exemplary Service (Team), and recognition as one of Canada's 100 Accomplished Black Women.