Two Women College Presidents Announce They Are Leaving Their Posts

Sonya Stephens, president of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is stepping down from her post this coming summer. Dr. Stephens was named acting president in 2016 and was named permanent president in 2018.

Before being named acting president in 2016, Dr. Stephens served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Mount Holyoke. Before coming to Mount Holyoke in 2013, Dr. Stephens was first vice provost for undergraduate education at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Dr. Stephens is a native of England. She earned a bachelor’s degree in modern and medieval languages and a Ph.D. in French at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Stephens also holds a master’s degree from the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada.

Linda Lujan, president of Lamar Community College in Colorado, announced that she will retire at the end of the calendar year. She has served as president since 2016. Dr. Lujan is also an instructor in the doctoral program in leadership for educational equity and higher education program at the University of Colorado Denver.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Lujan was academic dean of the Centers for Business & Technology and Health Sciences at the Community College of Denver and director of educational technology at Arapahoe Community College. She also served as president and CEO of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona.

Dr. Lujan holds a bachelor’s degree in human resource management from Colorado Christian University in Lakewood. She earned a master’s degree in educational technology leadership from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in community college leadership from Colorado State University.