Ten Women Who Have Been Appointed to Administrative Roles at Colleges and Universities

Rebecca Hernandez is the inaugural community archivist at the Univerity of California, Santa Cruz. In this role, she will develop and facilitate public history projects using a variety of methodologies including oral histories and exhibitions. Dr. Hernandez had served for the past seven years as director of the American Indian Resource Center at the university.

Dr. Hernandez is a graduate of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. She holds a master’s degree in American Indian studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, a master of fine arts degree in exhibition design from California State University, Fullerton, and a Ph.D. in American studies from the University of New Mexico.

Joy Cook is the new associate vice chancellor for strategic communications at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. She has served on an interim basis as the university’s media relations director and spokesperson since May 2021. Earlier, Cook worked at North Carolina A&T State University in a variety of roles, including interim media relations director, marketing and public relations manager, and communications specialist.

Cook is a  graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she double majored in communication studies and English.

Nancy E. Paton was appointed vice president and chief communications and marketing officer at Indiana University. Paton currently oversees communications and marketing at the University of Florida and will assume her duties at Indiana University on April 25.

Paton earned a bachelor’s degree in mass media and communications from the University of Akron in Ohio and a master’s degree in management from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Dawn Smallwood was promoted to assistant vice president for campus safety and chief of police at Stony Brook University in New York. She has been serving since November 2020 as assistant chief of patrol and community relations at the university. Smallwood is the first woman to hold the position in the university’s history.

Smallwood holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in forensic psychology, and an advanced certificate in emergency management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

Emma Wolfe is the first senior advisor to the president for external relations and leadership development at Barnard College in New York City. She was chief of staff for the mayor of New York City and deputy mayor for administration.

Wolfe is a graduate of Barnard College, where she majored in urban studies and sociology.

Elizabeth Bullock will be the next senior vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel at the University of Denver, effective, March 7. For the past three years, she has served as general counsel at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and previously served as an associate attorney at Harvard University.

Bullock is a manga cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. She earned a juris doctorate at Yale Law School.

Valerie Payson is the new director of the Central Texas College Foundation in Killeen, Texas. She has served as the past board president and member of the board of directors for the Greater Fort Hood Area United Way.

Payson is a graduate of Central Texas College and holds a bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

Kimberly J. Lewis is the new executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Louisiana State University. She was secretary of revenue in the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, a master of public administration degree, and a juris doctorate, all from Louisiana State University.

Jessica White is the new director of the Title IX Office at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She was the Title IX and equal opportunity coordinator at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

White holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston in South Carolina and a master’s degree in forensic studies from Stevenson University in Maryland.

Shelly Bayer was appointed director of multicultural affairs at South Dakota State University. Dr. Bayer has been on the staff at the university for 20 years, most recently as the associate director of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.

Dr. Bayer is a graduate of South Dakota State University, where she majored in English education. She holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and a doctorate in adult and higher education from the University of South Dakota.