Eight Women Appointed to Dean Posts in Higher Education

Sarah Shannon will be the next dean of the College of Nursing at Montana State University. Since 2016, Dr. Shannon has been a professor and senior associate dean for academic affairs for the School of Nursing at the Oregon Health and Sciences University. Earlier, she served for more than 20 years  on the faculty in the School of Nursing at the University of Washington.

Dr. Shannon is a graduate of the University of Arizona. She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Washington.

Yolanda Pierce was appointed dean of the Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C. When she takes office on July 24, she will be the first woman to serve as dean in the 150-year history of the divinity school. Dr. Pierce has been serving as the Elmer C. Homrighausen Associate Professor of Religion and Literature and director of the Black Church Studies program at the Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey.

Dr. Pierce is a graduate of Princeton University, where she majored in English and religion. She holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in religion and literature from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Kim Litwack is the new dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Dr. Litwak joined the faculty at the university in 2004 and was serving as associate dean for academic affairs before being named interim dean in July 2016.

Dr. Litwak is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in medical surgical nursing from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Kent State University in Ohio.

Sarah N. Roth was named dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has been serving as a professor of history and associate dean of humanities at Widener University in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Roth is a graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia.

Katherine Lavinder is the new dean of students at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She has been serving as interim dean since July 2016. She joined the staff at Lehigh in 2011 as associate dean of students.

Lavinder is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she majored in speech communications. She holds a master’s degree in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.

Patricia Campbell was appointed dean of the University College at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She has been serving as vice president and dean of graduate studies, research, and innovation for the American Public University System. Before joining the APUS in 2008, Dr. Campbell was a professor of political science at the University of West Georgia.

A graduate of Illinois State University, Dr. Campbell earned a Ph.D. at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies.

Michelle Mohr Carney was named dean of the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. Since 2014, she has been serving as a professor and director of the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. Previously, she spent 10 years on the faculty at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Carney is the co-author of the book Women Who Perpetrate Relationship Violence: Moving Beyond Political Correctness (Haworth Press, 2006) She holds bachelor’s and doctoral degree in social work from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in social administration from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Kathy Stitts was named interim dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, Business, and Education at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Dr. Stitts joined the faculty at the university in 2003 as an associate professor of marketing and associate dean of the School of Business and Economics.

Dr. Stitts holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA from Florida A&M University. She earned a Ph.D. in marketing at Florida State University.