Six Women Who Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Karen Craddock is the inaugural Tribal Community Member in Residence at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. In this role, she will provide cultural, academic, and psycho-social support and mentoring for Native American and Indigenous students on campus.

Dr. Crddock is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in human development and psychology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from Tufts University in Massachusetts.

Crate Herbert has been named vice president of institutional advancement at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston. Herbert has been working at Harvard University since 2007. For the past four years, she has been executive director of development for the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Herbert holds a bachelor’s degree in music and philosophy from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. She earned a master’s degree in music from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sara Thorndike was appointed senior vice president for finance and business at Pennsylvania State University. She was vice chancellor for administration and finance and chief financial officer at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Dr. Thorndike previously served as senior associate vice chancellor for business affairs, chief financial officer, and controller at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Dr. Thorndike holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. She earned an MBA from Ohio State University and a doctoral degree in higher education leadership from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Julia Yager will be the next vice president for college relations and communications at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She will begin her new job on January 1. She has been serving as senior vice president for marketing, sales, and distribution for Public Radio International in Minneapolis.

Yager is a graduate of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she majored in public policy. She holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Cathy Light was named secretary to the board of trustees at the California Institute of Technology, effective January 4, 2021. Since 2018, she has been secretary of the corporation and advisor to the president at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Light earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Carlow University in Pittsburgh. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.

Emilly Borthwick-Wong was appointed executive director of University Advising at the University of Nevada, Reno. Since March she has served as interim director. She joined the staff at the university in 2019 as the director of the Exploratory and Pre-Professional Advising Center.

Dr. Borthwick-Wong is a graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, where she majored in religion. She holds a master’s degree in applied communication and an educational doctorate from Northern Arizona University.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Jennifer Glowienka Named the First Woman President of Carroll College in Montana

“I have dedicated my professional career to this remarkable institution, which prepares ethical leaders who engage the world with purpose and hope,” said Dr. Glowienka. “I look forward to strengthening and expanding the ways Carroll fulfills its mission, serving learners across all stages of their educational journey.”

Susan Stuebner Elevated to President of Simpson College in Iowa

Dr. Stuebner has led Simpson College on an interim basis since July 28. She has nearly 30 years of professional experience, including service as president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire.

Shari Veil Appointed Provost at North Dakota State University

“It is a privilege to work with people who care so deeply about students, discovery, and the future of North Dakota,” said Dr. Veil. “With its strong academic profile and land-grant mission, NDSU is well positioned for meaningful impact, and I look forward to partnering with my fellow Bison to advance that work.”

Mary Ann Villarreal to Lead California State University, Dominguez Hills

“As one of the most diverse campuses in the CSU system, Dominguez Hills is a vital anchor institution for the community it serves,” said Dr. Villarreal. “A beacon of inclusivity, it inspires hope – both for the community and for higher education in California.”

Penny Elkins Named the First Woman President of Mercer University

A member of the Mercer University community for over 25 years, Dr. Elkins is slated to become the institution's first woman president on January 1. She has been serving as Mercer's interim provost.

Assistant Professor Tenure Track Position — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiovascular Institute

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Quantitative Methods

The Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Methods. This position will begin on or after July 1, 2026.

Tenure Track Position in Macro-Organizational Behavior and Organizational Theory

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business seeks to fill a full-time, tenure-track assistant or associate professor position in the Organizations and Entrepreneurship Area, starting as early as Fall 2026. 

Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice and John Carter Brown Library Joint Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and the John Carter Brown Library invite applications for a postdoctoral research associate position focused on any area/theme of historical scholarship around racial slavery, and/ or Indigenous dispossession and slavery.

Teaching Faculty Position in Information Systems and Technology Management (ISTM)

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business invites applications for a full-time, appointment-stream faculty position at the Clinical Assistant Professor level in our Information Systems and Technology Management area starting Fall 2026.