Seventeen Women Named to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Margie Huerta was named special assistant to the president of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She will work on fundraising initiatives and to better align the curriculum at the state’s community colleges with what is offered at New Mexico State.

Dr. Huerta was the president of Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces. Dr. Huerta holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University. She earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from New Mexico State University.

Susan M. Cooper, dean of the Irvine Campus of California State University, Fullerton, was elected president of the National Association of Branch Campus Administrators. Dr. Cooper has been dean of the Irvine Campus since 2008. Previously, she was dean of career technical education and workforce development at Irvine Valley College.

Dr. Cooper holds a master’s degree in secondary education and an educational doctorate from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Coreen Dawkins Jackson was appointed director of the University Honors Program at Tennessee State University in Nashville. She is a tenured associate professor of mass communication at the university.

Dr. Jackson is a graduate of William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. She holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Brooklyn College in New York and a Ph.D. in mass communication from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Peggy Stephens was named chief medical officer and chief administrative officer of Eastern State Hospital, a psychiatric treatment facility operated by the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She was the CEO of Madison State Hospital in Madison, Indiana.

Dr Stephens holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Louisville. She received her medical training at the University of Kentucky.

Beth Bailey was appointed interim executive director of the Office of Legal Affairs at the University of Georgia. Since 1997, she has served as associate director of the office. She joined the staff of the Office of Legal Affairs in 1994.

Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from the University of Tennessee.

Sasha McCraw is the new director of student activities at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Previously, she was a communications officer for the Dougherty County Police Department in Albany, Georgia.

McCraw holds a bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Troy University in Alabama.

Joni Lee was appointed interim vice chancellor for university advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She has been serving as associate vice chancellor for university advancement. She has been on the staff at the University in 1987 and was promoted to associate vice chancellor in 1999.

Lee holds a bachelor’s degree and a master of public administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Amy Luethmers has been hired as the director of marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Stoudt. Since 2010, she has been a marketing specialist at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Luethmers is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and is working toward an MBA at that educational institution.

Tricia Brandenburg was named interim director of athletics at Towson University in Maryland. She has been serving as deputy athletics director for internal operations. Before coming to Towson last December, she was the senior associate director of athletics at Ohio University in Athens.

Brandenburg holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a master’s degree in leadership from Northwestern University.

Jennifer Gramling is the new director of online programs at the University of Tennessee. She was the associate director of instructional technology and distance learning at South College in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dr. Gramling is a graduate of the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in education from the University of Tennessee.

Joanne Duffy was named interim associate dean for research and Ph.D. educaiton at the School of Nursing of West Virginia University. She is the director of the school’s Ph.D. program and a research professor at WVU Hospitals.

Dr. Duffy is a graduate of Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America.

Nancy Stula was appointed executive director of the William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut. Since 2009, she has been the executive director and curator at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut. She previously served on the faculty at the University of Hartford.

Dr. Stula is a graduate of the University of Hartford and holds a Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University.

Joanne Thanavaro was appointed associated dean for graduate education at the Saint Louis University School of Nursing. She was coordinator of the adult and adult/geriatric nurse practitioner programs at the nursing school.

Dr. Thanavaro holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Saint Louis University and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio.

Janice Welburn, dean of university libraries at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was elected secretary of the board of directors of the Center for Research Libraries. The center is an international consortium of 260 university and independent libraries.

Welburn is a graduate of Bishop College. She earned a master’s degree in American history and a master of library science degree from Atlanta University.

Anne Camper was named interim vice president for research, creativity, and technology transfer at Montana State University. She joined the Montana State faculty in 1995. In 2001, she was named associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Engineering.

Dr. Camper holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in microbiology and a Ph.D. in civil engineering, all from Montana State University.

Adele Cecilia Barry was appointed interim director of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has been serving as associate athletic director for student services. She joined the staff at the university in 1983 as head coach of the women’s basketball team.

She retired from coaching in 2005 as the winningest coach in university history with 427 victories.

Monica Orozco was named vice provost for extended learning at the University of New Mexico. She has been serving as assistant provost for eLearning at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and is the former director of distance learning and outreach at Auburn University in Alabama.

Dr. Orozco holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Florida.