Four Women Retire From High-Level University Posts

Pareena Lawrence, president of Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, has announced that she has decided to step down from her position. During her two years as president, she has spearheaded important innovations to the university’s academic and co-curricular programs and established new institutional partnerships. She also developed a new strategic plan for the university and helped launch a new Apartment Village.

Dr. Lawrence holds a Ph.D. in economics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Lynn Verschoor, director of the South Dakota Art Museum at South Dakota State University, has announced she will retire from her position at the end of 2019. She has served as director for the past 20 years. Some of her most notable accomplishments include collaborations with various artists, the Public Art Program, the creation of a museum studies minor, collaborations with the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies, expanding the museum’s collection, the Brookings Kite Festival, and Harvey Dunn Paint Out.

Verschoor is a graduate of South Dakota State University where she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree. She holds a master’s degree in information media and instructional design from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and a master of fine arts degree from the University of South Dakota.

Mary J. Kennett, director of the Animal Resource Program at Pennsylvania State University, has announced that she will retire on September 30. Dr. Kennett has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 2001. She also served as a professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences, a member of the University Research Council, and a member of numerous professional associations. Her research focuses on the fields of veterinary medicine, animal pathology, interpreting rodent history, and the development of animal models.

Dr. Kennett holds a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree both from Washington State University, a master’s degree in biology from Walla Walla College in Washington State, and a Ph.D. in pathobiology from the University of Missouri.

Sandra Witte, dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at California State University, Fresno, retired from her position on July 1. She served as a Fresno State faculty member for more than 38 years. She was named dean of the Jordan College in March 2016 after serving as interim dean since December 2014. During her tenure, the college established new partnerships, enhanced scholarships, internships, career placement, advisory boards, research support, and student recruitment, and renovated various laboratories.

Dr. Witte is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona where she majored in food and nutrition. She holds a master’s degree in home economics, nutrition, and dietetics from California State University, Fresno and a Ph.D. in food systems management with a minor in nutrition and management from Oregon State University in Corvallis.