Previously, she served as Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs. Teaching both domestically and in China, she became the second black female ever to be awarded tenure in the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering. Dr. McDonald serves on the board of the Center for Africana Studies and is a past member of the Hopkins Diversity Leadership Council and the Maryland Humanities Council. Dr. McDonald earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Written Communication from Mills College; a Master of Arts degree in Applied Communication Research from Stanford University; and Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from the University of California, Davis.