A Quartet of New Women Deans at Major Universities

Vimala Pillari was appointed dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She was dean of the Whitney M. Young Jr. School of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University.

Dr. Pillari holds bachelor’s and master of social work degrees from Madras University in India. She earned a doctorate in social welfare from Columbia University in New York.

Rebecca Bott was named interim dean of the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College at South Dakota State University. Dr. Bott is an associate professor of animal science and has been on the faculty at the university since 2009.

Dr. Bott is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where she majored in animal science. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and a Ph.D. in biomedical science from Colorado State University.

Amanda Clay Powers was appointed dean of library services at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. She has been serving as an associate professor and research department coordinator at the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University.

Dean Powers is a graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she majored in English literature. She holds a master of library and information science degree from Simmons College in Boston.

Barbara J. McNeil, the Ridley Watts Professor of Health Care Policy and professor of radiology, at Harvard Medical School, was named acting dean of the Faculty of Medicine, effective August 1. Dr. McNeil joined the faculty at the medical school in 1983. Since 1988, she has chaired the department of health care policy.

Professor McNeil is a graduate of Emmanuel College in Boston and earned her medical degree and a Ph.D. in biological chemistry at Harvard.