Two Women Scholars Named Department Chairs at Flagship State Universities

Frances Cogle Lawrence was appointed professor and chair of the department of personal financial planning in the College of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She was the George Cire and Lena Grand Williams Endowed Alumni Professor at Louisiana State University. She was also the Ourso Professor of Communication and associate dean in the College of Business at the university.

Professor Lawrence is a native of Richmond, Virginia. She earned a bachelor’s degree in management, housing, and family development at Virginia Tech. Professor Lawrence holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in consumer economics from Florida State University.

Sue McNeil was named chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Delaware in Newark. She joined the faculty at the university in 2005 and also teaches in the School of Public Policy and Administration. Dr. McNeil is the former director of the Disaster Research Center at the university.

Professor McNeil is a graduate of the University of Newcastle in Australia, where she majored in civil engineering. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.