Five Women Scholars Who Have Been Named to University Dean Positions

Janeil C. Rey has been appointed interim dean of the College of Education at the State University of New York at Fredonia. In a career in education that spans more than 35 years, Dr. Rey has been a teacher, professor, and administrator. For over 18 years, she held positions as an adjunct professor, visiting professor, assistant professor. and co-coordinator of Fredonia’s EDP program and also taught the master’s proposal and thesis writing courses and leadership courses for aspiring school principals and superintendents.

Dr. Rey holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Barnard College in New York City. She earned a master’s degree in administration, planning. and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She holds a doctorate from the University at Buffalo of the State University of New York system.

Denelle Wallace-Alexander has been appointed dean of the School of Education at Norfolk State University in Virginia. For 17 years, Dr. Wallace-Alexander served in many roles in public schools including serving as an elementary and secondary classroom teacher, an online elementary and middle school tutor, and a middle school assistant principal. Dr. Wallace-Alexander joined the faculty at Norfolk State University in 2008. Her research has focused on diversity in the fields of education, cultural identity development, digital storytelling, culturally proficient educational environments, and effective leadership in public school reform.

Dr. Wallace-Alexander holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a Ph.D. in urban services with a concentration in academic leadership from Old Dominion University in Norfolk. She also holds a master’s degree in school counseling from Georgia State University.

Mary Jo Billiot was named acting dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University. Dr. Billiot is the interim associate dean for finance and research in the College of Business and is an associate professor of accounting with 20 years of service to the university.

Dr. Billiot holds a doctorate in business administration from the College of Business and Industry at Mississippi State University.

Carmen Renee’ Green is the new dean of the CUNY School of Medicine at The City College of New York. She is the second dean of the Harlem-based medical school established in 2015 in partnership with Bronx-based St. Barnabas Hospital. Dr. Green has been serving as a professor of anesthesiology and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the medical school of the University of Michigan.

Dr. Green is a  graduate of the University of Michigan at Flint and the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University.

Karen Sneddon has been named interim dean of the Mercer Law School in Macon, Georgia. She serves as professor of law and associate dean for faculty research and development at the law school. Her concentrations are in the areas of legal writing, wills, and real estate transactions. Prior to joining the Mercer University faculty in 2006, Sneddon was a Forrester Fellow at Tulane Law School in New Orleans and an associate at a New York City law firm.

Professor Sneddon is a summa cum laude graduate of Louisiana State University and summa cum laude graduate of Tulane Law School.