A Trio of Women Named to Dean Positions

Patrena N. Benton is the new dean of the Graduate College at Hampton University in Virginia. She was the assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of the Edwin P. McCabe Honors Program at Langston University in Oklahoma.

Dr. Benton holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned a Ph.D. in leadership studies at North Carolina A&T State University.

Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson was named dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant. The appointment is effective on July 1. Currently, Dr. Pehrsson is associate dean and professor of education at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. She previously taught at Oregon State University.

Dr. Pehrsson is a graduate of the State University of New York and holds a master’s degree and an educational doctorate from Idaho State University.

Jane Wayland was appointed dean of the College of Business at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has been serving as chair of the department of marketing and advertising at the business school and previously was associate dean of graduate studies. Prior to coming to Arkansas, she was a professor at Eastern Illinois University.

Dean Wayland holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi. She earned a Ph.D. in marketing from the University of North Texas.