Fourteen Women Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Sherri Mylott was named vice president of university advancement at the University of La Verne in California. Since 2013, she has been vice president of university advancement at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia.

Mylott is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she majored in government. She holds a master of public administration degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Alison Gass was named as the next Dana Feitler Director of the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago. Since 2014, Gass has been the chief curator and associate director for exhibitions and collections at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. She will begin her duties at the University of Chicago on May 1.

Gass earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in New York City and holds a graduate degree in art history from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.

Julia Seppala is the new vice president for finance at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. She has been serving as treasurer for the board of trustees at the university and will continue to perform those duties.

Seppala joined the staff at Michigan Tech in 1990 as an assistant research accountant. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

Michaele DeHart was named interim director of risk management for the Division of Campus Safety and Emergency at Syracuse University in New York. DeHart joined the staff at Syracuse University in 2003 as a risk management specialist and rose to the position as associate director of risk and insurance.

DeHart holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

Xiaojing Zu was promoted to director of the New York University Shanghai Library. Since January 2016, she has served as associate director for user and access services.

Zu holds a bachelor’s degree in library science from Peking University. She earned a master of library and information science degree from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Berry College in Rome, Georgia.

Aines Castro was named director of the Todos Santos Center, an international outpost of Colorado State University in Mexico. She has been working with the center and volunteering at the center for the past two years. Earlier, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany.

Dr. Castro is a graduate of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in Mexico City. She holds a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Potsdam in Germany.

Jeanette Barker was promoted to associate vice chancellor of institutional research, evaluation, and planning at North Carolina Central University in Durham. She has served as director of institutional effectiveness in the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Planning.

Dr. Barker holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in college student personnel services from the University of Dayton in Ohio. She earned a doctorate in higher education from North Carolina State University.

Kristin Failor is the new state relations officer for Iowa State University. Since 2010, she has served as state policy director for the National Federation of Independent Business. Earlier, she was director of government relations for the Iowa Telecommunications Association.

Failor is a graduate of the University of Iowa. She holds a law degree from Drake University and is currently studying a master’s degree in health care administration from Des Moines University.

Katie Ladas was appointed executive director of alumni engagement at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the former director of volunteerism at the Greater Twin Cities United Way.

Ladas is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she majored in business marketing.

Kimberly Morris was named director of financial aid at Fort Valley State University in Georgia. She is the former director of financial aid at Southern Crescent Technical College in Griffin, Georgia.

Morris is a graduate of Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, where she majored in psychology and human services. She earned a master’s degree in postsecondary education from Troy University in Alabama.

Polly Prewitt-Freilino was appointed director of institutional research and effectiveness at Mount Holyoke College. She has been serving as director of institutional research and assessment at Wheaton College.

Prewitt-Freilino is a graduate of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where she majored in history. She holds a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Melissa Shute is the new director of government relations at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She was manager of global public policy of ConocoPhillips Inc.

Shute is a graduate of the University of Houston and the law school at the University of Tulsa.

Denise Stephens was appointed vice provost and university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis. She has been serving as university librarian at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She will begin her new job on July 1.

Stephens holds a bachelor’s degree and master of library and information science from the University of Oklahoma.

Lectra Lawhorne was promoted to chief information officer at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. She was associate chief information officer and associate vice president for University Information Technology Services.

Lawhorne earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics and a master’s degree in information science from Kennesaw State University.