Paulette Dillard

Paulette R. Dillard is an American academic administrator and medical technologist. She is the 18th president of Shaw University.

Dillard is from Mount Airy, North Carolina. She graduated from Barber–Scotia College and completed a M.B.A. at Belmont University. Dillard earned a M.S. in biology at Tennessee State University. She completed a Ph.D. in cell biology at Clark Atlanta University.

Dillard began her career at International Clinical Laboratories in Nashville, Tennessee. She was a scientist for 25 years in the field of diagnostic laboratory medicine. She is a medical technologist certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. She held leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline, Quest Diagnostics, and the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University. Shaw served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college of arts and sciences at Shaw University. She became interim president in July 2017. On September 8, 2018, she succeeded Tashni-Ann Dubroy as the 18th president of Shaw University.