Nine Appointments of Women to High-Level Administrative Positions in Academia

Veronica Gonzales was named vice president for university advancement at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg. Her appointment is effective on July 1. Gonzales is a four-term Democratic state representative from McAllen. Earlier this year, she announced that she would not be seeking reelection.

Gonzales is a graduate of Texas State University San Marcos, where she majored in English and Spanish. After completing her undergraduate studies, she enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law and earned her degree in 1991.

Gail Williams is the new chief diversity director at Hodges University in Naples, Florida. More than half the students at Hodges University are from underrepresented minority groups.

Williams also serves as director of student accounts at the university. In her new position, Williams will join the Naples chapter of the Florida Diversity Council.

Gage E. Paine was appointed vice president for student affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Her appointment is effective on August 1. For the past five years, she has served in the same post at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Dr Paine is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. She holds a law degree from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas.

Tiffany Kirkland was named associate director of communications for enrollment management at Syracuse University in New York. She has been serving as director of corporate marketing for higher education for The College Board. Previously, she was director of communications at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

Kirkland is a graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina and holds an MBA from Olgethorpe University.

Sharon Hargrave was appointed director of the Boone Center for the Family at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She has been serving as director of the Strong Marriages/Successful Ministries program at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Hargrave is a graduate of Biola University in La Miranda, California. She earned a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Jacqueline O’Bryant is the new coordinator for diversity programs at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. She is the former deputy prosecuting attorney for Pulaski County, Arkansas. She also was an adjunct professor at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Arkansas.

O’Bryant is a graduate of Alcorn State University in Mississippi and the Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Marcia France was appointed associate dean of the college at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. She is the Herwick Professor of Chemistry at the university. She has been on the Washington and Lee faculty since 1994.

Dr. France is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She holds a master’s degree from Yale University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.

Jamie Shutter was named director of University Health Services at the University of Texas at Austin. She has served as interim director since last September and has been with the division for 23 years.

Shutter holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University.

Virginia Arthur was appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since 2009, she has been the associate provost for faculty affairs at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Previously, she served on the faculty at the College of St. Benedict of Saint John’s University in Minnesota.

Arthur is a graduate of Syracuse University and the law school of American University in Washington, D.C.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Deborah Jones Named President of the MGH Institute of Health Professions

“I am inspired by the [MGH Institute for Health Professions'] mission to educate health professionals and researchers who will drive innovation in the delivery of equitable and interprofessional care,” said Dr. Jones. “This mission aligns deeply with my own purpose, which is to bring together people, ideas, and systems for the greater good, because the greater good is stronger than any individual part.”

Alison Carr-Chellman Appointed Provost of Pace University

“Pace has a unique mission rooted in access, excellence, and opportunity, and that resonates deeply with me,” said Dr. Carr-Chellman. “I’m excited to bring my experience in academic innovation, collaborative leadership, and student-centered learning to a community so clearly dedicated to helping students excel and create lives they are proud of.”

Virginia Tech’s Emily Sarver to Lead the Society of Mining Professors

The Society of Mining Professors is an international organization dedicated to advancing the future of mining, minerals, and energy disciplines. Emily Sarver, the Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech, will serve as the society's next president.

Jennifer Glowienka Named the First Woman President of Carroll College in Montana

“I have dedicated my professional career to this remarkable institution, which prepares ethical leaders who engage the world with purpose and hope,” said Dr. Glowienka. “I look forward to strengthening and expanding the ways Carroll fulfills its mission, serving learners across all stages of their educational journey.”

Susan Stuebner Elevated to President of Simpson College in Iowa

Dr. Stuebner has led Simpson College on an interim basis since July 28. She has nearly 30 years of professional experience, including service as president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire.

Senior Research Associate, Development Innovation Lab

The University of Chicago’s Development Innovation Lab and the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics invites applications for a non-tenure track Senior Research Associate position, with a focus on Development Economics and Education.

Assistant Professor Tenure Track Position — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiovascular Institute

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Quantitative Methods

The Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Methods. This position will begin on or after July 1, 2026.

Tenure Track Position in Macro-Organizational Behavior and Organizational Theory

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business seeks to fill a full-time, tenure-track assistant or associate professor position in the Organizations and Entrepreneurship Area, starting as early as Fall 2026. 

Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice and John Carter Brown Library Joint Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and the John Carter Brown Library invite applications for a postdoctoral research associate position focused on any area/theme of historical scholarship around racial slavery, and/ or Indigenous dispossession and slavery.