Three Women Scholars Announce They Are Stepping Down From their Posts in Academia

Marylou Pausewang Gelfer, professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has announced her retirement. She has chaired her academic department for 15 years.

Dr. Gelfer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in speech pathology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She earned a Ph.D. in experimental phonetics from the University of Florida.

Heather M. Young, the founding dean of the School of Nursing at the University of California, Davis, announced that she plans to step down as dean in July. After a sabbatical she will return to the school as a full professor of nursing. She has served as dean for the past decade.

Dr. Young holds a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from the University of California, Davis. She earned a second bachelor’s degree in nursing at Southern Oregon State College. Professor Young holds a master’s degree in nursing and gerontology and a Ph.D. in nursing science from the University of Washington.

Lori Berquam, dean of students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be stepping down this summer to take part in the American Council on Education Fellowship program. She will be assigned to work on a university campus to be mentored with the goal of training her for a top-level administrative post in higher education.

Dr. Berquam has been dean and chief student affairs officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2007 and has been on the staff at the university since 1995. She is a graduate of Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where she double majored in mathematics and psychology. Dr. Berquam holds a master’s degree in college student personnel from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a Ph.D. in college and university leadership from Colorado State University.