Universities Announce the Appointments of Ten Women to Administrative Positions

Lori Hasselman has been named as the Native American student success coordinator at the University of Kansas. She was a retention specialist for Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

Hasselman is a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Kansas.

Sarah C. Latham was appointed executive vice president for finance and administration at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, effective January 1. She has been serving as vice chancellor for business and administrative services at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

A native of California, Dr. Latham earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She holds a master’s degree in higher education and a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from Florida State University.

Letitia C. Wall has been named chief of staff and operations officer in the office of the chancellor at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. She previously served as associate provost for administration and planning at the university.

Wall is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, where she majored in accounting.

Dianne Oliver will be the next associate provost of academic affairs at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, effective January 10. Dr. Oliver has been serving as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Nazareth College in suburban Rochester, New York.

Dr. Oliver earned both her master’s degree and her doctorate in theology and ethics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She also earned a master of divinity degree from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Laiya Thomas was appointed director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Marquette University in Milwaukee. EOP is comprised of five programs: Student Support Services, McNair Scholars, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math and Science, and Educational Talent Search. Most recently, Thomas served as executive director of the Wisconsin Educational Opportunity Programs within the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs from Lakeland University in Plymouth, Wisconsin.

Franki Fitterer is the new director of communications and marketing for the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria. She comes to Virginia Tech from American University, where she was director of public relations and marketing at the university’s Washington College of Law.

Fitterer has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of San Francisco and a master’s degree in political science from American University’s School of Public Affairs.

Jacqueline Blackett has been promoted to deputy director of intercollegiate athletics at Columbia University in New York City. Blackett has most recently served as the senior associate, athletics, physical education, and recreation and senior woman administrator since 2010.

A native of Barbados who grew up in Brooklyn, Blackett is a graduate of the University of Rochester, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Rhonda Shaner Ryals has joined Clemson University in South Carolina as director of export control and research security. For the past decade, Ryals has worked with the Office of Research Integrity Assurance at the Georgia Institute of Technology, most recently as associate director.

Ryals is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.

Felicia McCree is the new senior director of prospect management in the business intelligence unit of university advancement at Washington University in St Louis. She was executive director of advancement services at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Earlier, she was the director of advancement services and prospect management at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

McCree holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and a certificate in project management strategy from the University of Chicago.

Katie VanLandingham has been promoted to chief government relations and policy officer at the University of Memphis. She was the senior director of government relations and policy. Earlier, she was was a senior associate at JohnsonPossKirby Government Relations in Nashville.

A Memphis native, VanLandingham holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.