The DR. IONE D. VARGUS LECTURE SERIES: A Conversation with Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah and Bill Vargus

This event will be held at the Feinstone Lounge, Sullivan Hall, 1330 Polett Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19122 

In celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Ione D. Vargus, the first academic African American dean at Temple University, the Blockson Collection invites you to join us in a captivating conversation with two-time Temple University graduate, Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah (CLA 1998, EDU 2001), The CROWN Act Champion, Social Impact Strategist and Racial Equality Czar. Dr. Asamoah will be joined in conversation with Bill Vargus, Temple Alum, broadcast pioneer and son of Dr. Ione D. Vargus. 

Educator Ione Teresa Dugger Vargus (1930-2025) broke new ground as the first African American ever to hold the title of academic dean in Temple University’s history. In addition to her role as Acting Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Presidential Fellow, Dr. Vargus served as the dean of the School of Social Administration for 13 years. It was a combination of her graduate studies and experience as a social worker in Chicago and Boston that inspired her lifelong commitment to strengthening families and promoting reunions to enhance identity, self-esteem, and family values. Guided by that call, Dr. Vargus founded the Family Reunion Institute at Temple University in 1990.

Bill Vargus’ broadcasting career spanned over 30 years, mostly in Philadelphia. A graduate of Temple University, Billy V, as he was known during his days as a sports anchor on Philadelphia’s Fox 29-TV, is a nine-time Emmy nominee. He won the regional Emmy for Best Sports Anchor in 2008 and 2009. Bill worked at several radio stations, including WHAT and WDAS before moving into television. He also anchored at WWOR-TV in New York and at NBC-10 and WHYY-TV in Philadelphia, where he met his wife Sue Serio, who has spent the past 28 years as the morning weather anchor on Fox 29's Good Day Philadelphia

Dr. Adjoa B. Asamoah is an accomplished executive and internationally sought-after power player who has worked across industries and sectors for nearly three decades. An award-winning social impact strategist and history-making policy architect, she is known globally as “THE CROWN Act Champion.” She conceptualized, developed the national legislative and coalition-building strategies for, and leads the groundbreaking CROWN Act movement nationwide. Committed to actualizing the power of policy, she has crafted legislation to right many historic wrongs and spearheaded the victory to codify the nation’s first Office of African American Affairs. 

As an adjunct professor, Dr. Asamoah has taught African history, African American Studies, and psychology. As an expert trainer, she teaches civics, inclusive policymaking, diversity as an organizational asset, and several tailored topics for various institutions including the Congressional Black Caucus Institute where she serves as faculty. A veteran corporate consultant, she has coached Fortune 500 executives to better understand race and enterprise risk management, purpose-driven marketing, and corporate social responsibility. Dr. Asamoah leverages cultural intelligence and behavioral insights to design winning campaigns, create sustainable systems change, and predict consumer behavior. 

Adjoa was tapped to serve as the National Advisor for Black Engagement for the 2020 Biden-Harris Campaign and as the Black Engagement Director for the 59th Presidential Inaugural Committee. A longtime advisor to senior local, state, and federal officials, Adjoa served in yet another historic capacity as the Senior Advisor for Racial Equity to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge and is the only person to ever hold the title in the federal government. She also served as the Senior Policy Advisor in the District of Columbia’s Executive Office of the Mayor and held the economic empowerment portfolio. Having partnered with more members of Congress and state legislators than one can track, coupled with being the leading authority and go-to bridge-builder for diplomats throughout the African diaspora, Dr. Asamoah’s social capital and behind-the-scenes impact on global politics, policy, and culture are truly unparalleled 

She provides subject matter expertise as an appointee to numerous boards, commissions, and committees for notable entities including the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; DC Commission for Women; Temple University; DC Commission on African American Affairs; and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Incorporated. She has been appointed by several superintendents to the District of Columbia’s State Title I Committee of Practitioners and has been nominated and reelected chair for 10 consecutive years. 

A proud two-time graduate of Temple University, Adjoa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and in African American Studies, in addition to a master’s degree in educational psychology. She holds a post-master’s certificate in applied behavior analysis from Saint Joseph’s University and earned multiple professional licenses, including one as a behavior specialist. She was an international student and studied abroad at the University of Ghana at Legon. She completed the UPENN Equity Institute for Doctoral Students at the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education and earned her doctoral degree in Leadership: Education Administration & Policy Studies at George Washington University.

Photo by Bruce Turner
L-R: Bill Vargus, Ione D. Vargus & Suzanne Vargus Holloman