New Administrative Appointments for Fifteen Women in Higher Education

Julia Broussard has been appointed chief Title IX officer at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been a staff member with the university for more than a decade, most recently serving as associate director of the Title IX office and deputy Title IX coordinator.

Broussard is a graduate of Tulane University, where she double-majored in sociology and French. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Louisiana State University.

Linda Duffy has been appointed assistant vice president of research and innovation and director of sponsored programs in the Office of Research and Innovation at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her previous experience in higher education includes service as the associate vice president of sponsored programs for Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and associate general counsel at the University of Pittsburgh.

Duffy is a three-time graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she received her bachelor’s degree, an MBA, and a juris doctorate.

Heather Richardson has been selected to serve as interim vice president for strategic communications and marketing at West Virginia University. For the past five years, she has served as the university’s assistant dean for strategic communications in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics. She has held marketing and communications roles with WVU since 2015.

Richardson holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, an MBA, and a master’s degree in public administration from West Virginia University.

Detrenyona Chester has been named registrar at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She has over a decade of experience in higher education, most recently serving as registrar at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida. Previously, she was director of admissions operations at Life University in Marietta, Georgia.

Dr. Chester received her bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Albany State University in Georgia. She holds a doctor of education degree from Columbus State University in Georgia.

Lisa Turner has been selected to serve as interim human resources director at Wenatchee Valley College in Washington. She previously served in several human resources roles with the Wenatchee School District, ultimately rising to the role of executive director of human resources.

Turner holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Central Washington University.

Brenda Tindal has been named co-chair of the Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative. She currently serves as the inaugural chief campus curator and senior adviser on academic community engagement for Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Prior to her current role, she was executive director of Harvard Museums of Science and Culture.

Tindal received her bachelor’s degree in history and Africana studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her master’s degree in American studies from Emory University in Atlanta.

Jennifer Tavares has been appointed director of the Office of Community Relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. For the past decade, she has served as president and chief executive officer of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. Earlier in her career, she was the director of economic development for Commerce Chenango in Norwich, New York.

Tavares received her bachelor’s degree in English, speech communication, and studio arts from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

Janet L. Rathod has been appointed vice president and chief information security officer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She has more than 20 years of experience in information security in both the public and private sectors. Prior to her new role with Johns Hopkins University, Rathod was the director of cyberintelligence at Citigroup.

Rathod holds a master of public administration degree from New York University.

Edna Becerra has been named director of marketing at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in California. She has spent the past decade serving in various marketing and communications roles with Whittier College in California.

Becerra is a graduate of the University of La Verne in California and the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Deborah Korth has been promoted to senior associate vice provost for student success and academic excellence at the University of Arkansas. She has been with the university for more than two decades, most recently serving as assistant dean of student success in the university’s Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Korth holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics teaching from the University of Nebraska, a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration and college teaching from the University of Arkansas.

Annie Lindgren has been named associate vice president of research at Portland State University in Oregon. She has held the position on an interim basis for the past year. She was director of the university’s Center for Life in Extreme Environments. Her research career has focused on interdiscplinary studies and fostering collaboration across academic fields.

Dr. Lindgren received her bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in biology from New Mexico State University. She holds a Ph.D. in evolution, ecology, and organismal biology from Ohio State University.

Anne Barnes has been selected to serve as interim vice president and chief financial officer for the University of Nebraska System. In addition to her new responsibilities, she will retain her current role as vice chancellor for business, finance, and business development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Previously, she spent 25 years as the senior associate dean for administration and finance at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.

Barnes holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting from Oklahoma Baptist University and an MBA from Oklahoma City University.

Erin A. Moss Ferguson has been named vice president of legal services and general counsel at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. She has been with the Detroit Public Schools Community District for the past five years, most recently serving as associate general counsel.

Ferguson holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a juris doctorate from Western Michigan University.

Audrey Anderson has been appointed interim general counsel at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. She brings over three decades of experience in litigation counsel, government counsel, and higher education law to her new position. She previously served as vice chancellor and general counsel for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Anderson received her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in Illinois and her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan.

Monica Elliott has been promoted to director of admissions at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She has held several positions throughout her tenure with the university, including associate director of graduate admissions and assistant director of graduate admissions and faculty affairs.

Elliott received her bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and a master’s degree in adult education from North Carolina A&T State University.