Monthly Archives: April, 2016

Swarthmore College President Valerie Smith to Retire in 2027

Dr. Smith was named the first Black president of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in 2015. Before her presidency, she was dean of the college and the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Literature at Princeton University.

In Memoriam: Faye Gary, 1941-2026

Dr. Gary's career as a nurse, scholar, and educator spanned over five decades, including 23 years at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her work centered on child and adolescent health, health disparities, and domestic violence.

Six Women Promoted and Granted Tenure at Vassar College

The six women promoted to associate professor and granted tenure are Alicia Atwood in economics, Myra Hughey in biology, Krystle McLaughin in chemistry, Lori Newman in psychological sciences, Tracy O'Neill in English, and Catherine Tan in sociology.

In Memoriam: Elayne Hayes-Anthony, 1952-2026

Before transitioning to academia, Dr. Hayes-Anthony had a successful career in broadcast journalism. Later in life, she taught at Belhaven College and Jackson State University, where she served as acting president in 2023.

Four Women Professors Appointed to New Positions in the Academic World

Katherine Macfarlane of Syracuse University is chair of the Association of American Law Schools' section on Women in Legal Education and Tahira Probst was granted the title of Regents Professor at Washington State University. Karen Thole and Judy Schaechter are taking on leadership roles at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Vermont, respectively.

Professor Natasha Trethewey Honored for Her Outstanding Literary Career

Oregon State University has honored Natasha Trethewey of Northwestern University for her literary achievements. A Pulitzer Prize-winner and former Poet Laureate of the United States, Professor Trethewey is the author of five poetry collections, one monograph, and a memoir.

Five Women Selected for Dean Appointments at Universities

The new deans are Mary Frances Luce at Duke University in North Carolina, Gabrielle Rachael Thomas at Yale University, Karen Drenkard at George Mason University in Virginia, Nicole Kong at Purdue University in Indiana, and Natalie Bayer at Drake University in Iowa.

Huda Zoghbi Wins Inaugural Award in Autism Research

A longtime professor at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Zoghbi has made extensive contributions to the understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of neurological disease, including autism spectrum disorder. Her outstanding research has earned her the inaugural Nancy Lurie Marks Prize for Autism Research from the Lurie Autism Institute.

New Administrative Roles for Four Women in Higher Education

The four women with new administrative duties are Amber Reed at Purdue University in Indiana, Carrie Zelna at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, Heidi Norman at North Carolina A&T State University, and Susan Chadwick at Washington & Lee University in Virginia.

The Society for Cinema and Media Studies Honors Four Women Scholars at U.S. Universities

Tupur Chatterjee of Tulane University, Kelley Conway of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Jennifer Holt and Patrice Petro of the University of California, Santa Barbara have all been honored for their scholarly contributions to the field of cinema and media studies.

Three Women Join the Faculty of the University of Maryland’s Artificial Intelligence Institute

Ilaria Canavotto, Yulin Hswen, and Swati Srivastava are three of the five inaugural core faculty members at the University of Maryland's Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland.

In Memoriam: Beverly Caffee Glenn, 1948-2025

In the 1990s, Dr. Glenn became the first woman to serve as dean of the School of Education at Howard University. During her career, she also held leadership positions at the National Education Association and George Washington University.

Women Professors Dominate New List of Top-Cited Legal Scholars

For the second year in a row, Danielle Keats Citron of the University of Virginia School of Law, is the country's top-cited legal scholar. Six other women are included among the top 10 most-cited law professors — more than double the number of the past two years.

Sally Coleman Selden Appointed President of the University of Lynchburg

Currently provost at The Citadel in South Carolina, Dr. Selden previously worked for the University of Lynchburg for 18 years, ultimately serving as provost. She is slated to return to the university as president on July 1.

Report Examines Women’s Progress in Collegiate Athletics

Although women are the majority of undergradaute students (55 percent), they are underrepresented among NCAA varsity student-athletes (43 percent). Women are also less than half of all coaches for women's collegiate athletic teams.

Sarah Wisdom Named President of William Woods University

Dr. Wisdom, superintendent of New Bloomfield R-III Schools in Missouri, is a four-time graduate of William Woods University. She is slated to assume the presidency of alma mater on July 1.

Study Explores How Gender Conformity Manifests in Early Childhood

A new study from scholars at the University of Richmond and New York University has examined how children conform to gender norms. The study reveals that the roots of gender conformity appear in children as young as five years old.

Two Women Scholars Who Will Lead National Educational Organizations

Sylvia Hurtado of the University of California, Los Angeles is president-elect of the American Educational Research Association. Marrielle Myers of Kennesaw State University in Georgia is president-elect of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.

Recent Books of Interest to Women Scholars

Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.

In Memoriam: Clare Copper Marcus, 1934-2026

Professor Marcus taught architecture and landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley for more than two decades. Her scholarship centered on affordable housing, public open spaces, environments for children, and therapeutic landscapes in healthcare.