Eight Women Who Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Nicole Merhill was promoted to Title IX officer at Harvard University. She has been serving as deputy Title IX officer. Before joining the staff at Harvard last year, Merhill was a program officer for the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education.

Merhill is a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she majored in  elementary education and English. She earned a juris doctorate and a master’s degree in education law from the University of New Hampshire.

Charlene Alexander was named vice president and chief diversity officer at Oregon State University in Corvallis, effective June 30. She has been serving as associate provost for diversity at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has been on the staff at Ball State for 20 years.

Dr. Alexander holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling and guidance from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Ra’Sheda Forbes is the new assistant vice president for multicultural affairs at Mississippi State University in Starkville. She had been serving as interim assistant vice president and director of the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center at the university.

Forbes holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master of public policy and administration degree from Mississippi State University.

Tracee Smith was promoted to associate registrar at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. She  has been serving as assistant registrar. She joined the staff at the university in 2010 as a data processor.

Dr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. She earned a master of public health degree and a Ph.D. through Walden University.

Danielle Jostos was named director of equine philanthropy for the College of Agriculture Food and Environment at the University of Kentucky. She has been serving as assistant director of development for the School of Medicine at the University of Louisville.

Jostos holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Murray State University in Kentucky and is currently studying for a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Louisville.

Mary Young was appointed acting chief of police in the department of public safety at Texas Southern University in Houston. She was a community service specialist for the Houston Police Department.

Young is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University in Texas, where she majored in communications and law enforcement. She also earned a master’s degree in criminology from Prairie View A&M University.

Donelda Cook was promoted to vice president for student development at Loyola University Maryland. She was associate vice president for student development. Dr. Cook joined the staff at the university in 1993 as director of the Counseling Center.

Dr. Cook is a graduate of Delaware State University, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in theology from the St. Mary’s Seminary and University Ecumenical Institute of Theology in Baltimore and a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University.

Deidra Hill was appointed vice president of marketing and communications at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania. She has been serving as vice president for communications and marketing at City College of New York.

Dr. Hill is a graduate of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and public affairs from American University in Washington, D.C., and an educational doctorate from Morgan State University in Baltimore.