Universities Announce the Appointment of Three Women to Positions as Deans

Kate Meurs has been named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, effective April 1. Dr. Meurs will be the first female dean of the veterinary college and the inaugural recipient of the Randall B. Terry, Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine Endowed Dean’s Chair. Dr. Meurs joined the faculty at the university in 2011 as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the college. Earlier, Professor Meurs served in faculty and administrative positions at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Meurs received a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Texas A&M University.

Leah VanWey, who serves currently as dean of the School of Professional Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, has been appointed the university’s next dean of the faculty, effective July 1, 2022. The dean of the faculty is the senior academic officer responsible for developing and implementing programs, initiatives and policies to support the recruitment, retention, and development of Brown faculty in academic departments in the humanities and social sciences, as well as physical and life sciences departments not housed within the School of Engineering, School of Public Health, or Division of Biology and Medicine. A professor of environment and society, and sociology, Dr. VanWey joined the Brown faculty in 2008.

Dr. VanWey earned both a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Shatrela Washington-Hubbard was named the Swinton A. Griffith III Dean of the College of Business and Communication at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, effective immediately. She had served as interim dean of the college since August 2021. Before joining Brenau, Dr. Washington-Hubbard taught various business courses in the Technical College System of Georgia and served as the director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Development at Georgia Piedmont Technical College.

Dr. Washington-Hubbard earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University. She holds a master’s degree in human resources from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. in learning, leadership, and organizational development from the University of Georgia.