Five Women Academics Announce They Are Stepping Down From Their Posts

Karen+Abraham_thmbKaren Abraham is retiring as associate vice president of alumni relations and executive director of the Alumni Association at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Abraham has been affiliated with the university for 52 years. A courtyard at the Alumni Center Plaza on the University of New Mexico campus has been named in her honor.

Dr. Abraham holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and an educational doctorate, all from the University of New Mexico.

sharonmccloskeySharon McCloskey was named senior associate athletics director at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She has been on the staff since 1984 and in 1988 was the first woman in Division I college athletics to hold the position of recruiting coordinator.

McCloskey has served twice as interim athletics director. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech.

Malone-FennerShirley Malone-Fenner has stepped down as interim vice president for academic affairs at Wheelock College in Boston. She remains on the faculty as a professor of psychology and human development.

Dr. Malone-Fenner holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Kentucky University and an educational doctorate from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Dean-Ann-Gill-e1442614482634-426x426_cAnn Gill, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State University, has announced that she will retire on July 1, 2016. She has been on the faculty at the university for 36 years and has served as dean for the past decade. Earlier she was the chair of the department of speech communication at the university.

Dr. Gill is a graduate of Western State Colorado University in Gunnison and the University of Colorado School of Law. She earned a master’s degree at Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Denver.

brayTammy Bray, dean of the College of Public Health and Human Sciences and executive dean of the Division of Health Sciences at Oregon State University has announced that she plans to step down when a successor can be found. Dr. Bray joined the faculty at the university in 2002.

Dr. Bray is a graduate of Fu-Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Washington State University.

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