Ten Women Named to Dean Positions at Colleges and Universities Throughout the United States

Kathryn Ann Moler, professor of physics and applied physics at Stanford University, was named vice provost and dean of research at the university. She has been serving as associate dean of natural sciences. In 1998, Dr. Moler became the first woman to join the faculty in the department of applied physics at Stanford.

Professor Moler holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University.

Marsha Horton will be the founding dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Delaware State University. Before joining the faculty at Delaware State University in 2013 as interim dean of the College of Education, Health and Public Policy, Dr. Horton was a dean and associate professor at Virginia Union University’s School of Education, Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Dr. Horton has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sweet Briar College in Virginia, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Illinois.

Priscilla Mora was appointed dean of education programs for the arts, humanities, and sciences at Santa Barbara City College. She has been a faculty member since 2007 and has been serving since 2016 as president of the Academic Senate.

Dr. Mora holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She earned a Ph.D. in teaching of English to speakers of other languages at New York University.

Katharine Traylor Schaffzin was named interim dean of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. She has served as associate dean for the past year and joined the faculty in 2009. Earlier, she served for three years as an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law.

Professor Schaffzin is a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia. She holds a master’s degree and a juris doctorate from the Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia.

Jeanne Widen is serving as interim dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Loyola University in Chicago. She has been serving as associate dean since 2014 and earlier was director of online education.

Dr. Widen is a graduate of Tufts University in Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Chicago.

Lenetta R. Lee was promoted to dean of the college and vice president for student success at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She has been serving as dean of students and associate vice president of student affairs at the university.

Dr. Lee joined the faculty at Lincoln University in 1999. She is a 1985 graduate of Lincoln University and holds a Ph.D. in African American studies from Temple University in Philadelphia.

Hollis Robbins will be the next dean of arts and humanities at Sonoma State University in California. She has served as chair of the department of humanities and director of Africana studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Dr. Robbins is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University. She holds a master of public policy degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree in English from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University.

Elizabeth M.Z. Farmer was appointed dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been serving as a professor and associate dean for research in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Dr. Farmer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She earned a Ph.D. in sociology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Laura Burian is the new dean of the Graduate School of Translation, Interpretation and Language Education at the Middlebury Institute in Monterey, California. The institute is affiliated with Middlebury College in Vermont. Professor Burian has been on the faculty at the institute since 2000.

A graduate of Duke University, where she majored in comparative areas studies, Professor Burian earned a master’s degree in Chinese translation and interpretation from the Middlebury Institute.

Avis E. Hinkson was appointed dean of students and vice president for student affairs at Pomona College in Claremont, California. She has been serving as dean of Barnard College in New York City. Earlier in her career, Dr. Hinkson was associate dean of admissions at Pomona College.

A graduate of Barnard College, Dr. Hinkson earned a master’s degree in student personnel administration at Columbia University in New York City and a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.