New Administrative Duties for Nine Women in Higher Education

Tanya Easton has been named vice president of university advancement at Misericordia University in Dallas, Texas. She has served as vice president at Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, and later as vice president at West Virginia Wesleyan University and Notre Dame of Maryland University.

Dr. Easton holds a bachelor’s degree in English composition from Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. She earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in higher education administration and leadership studies from West Virginia University.

Rochelle A. Conley is the new general counsel at Alabama A&M University. Since 2014, she has been a deputy attorney general in Huntsville, Alabama, where she represented the Madison County Department of Human Resources in child welfare cases.

Conley is a graduate of Alabama A&M University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. She holds a juris doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Hayley Harris was appointed associate vice president and chief human resources officer at the University of Chicago. She was vice president for human resources and planning at Ithaca College in New York. Earlier, she was the human resources director at Cornell University

Harris is a graduate of Boston University, where she majored in music. She holds a master’s degree in music history from Yale University.

Tiffany Murphy has joined the staff at Dillard University in New Orleans as director of residential life. Previously, she worked both as an assistant area coordinator and as an assistant director of housing and residence life at the University of Memphis.

A first-generation college student, Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Memphis. She earned a master’s degree in education from Arkansas State University.

Stacy Springs has been named executive director of the Center for Biomedical Innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She previously served as senior director of programs for the center and as executive director of the center’s biomanufacturing program and its Consortium on Adventitious Agent Contamination in Biomanufacturing.

Dr. Springs holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and conducted postdoctoral research in protein and biophysical chemistry at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Jane Hirtle has been appointed assistant provost for research strategy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She began her career at Vanderbilt in the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education before joining the Office of the Vice Provost for Research in 2018.

Dr. Hirtle holds bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology, a master’s degree in psychology, and a Ph.D. in psychology all from Vanderbilt University.

Marquisha Frost is the new director of strategy and operations for the Division of Innovative and Learning-Centric Initiatives at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She was assistant dean and director of academic resources and disability services at Scripps College in Claremont, California.

Dr. Frost holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She earned a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Claremont Graduate University in California.

Amanda Davis has been named the new chief advancement officer at University of Missouri-Kansas City, effective November 2. She will also serve as president of the UMKC Foundation. Her most recent role was assistant vice president for campaign leadership at the University of Oklahoma Foundation.

Davis is a graduate of the University of Missouri, where she majored in English and sociology. She holds a master of public administration degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City

Cat Hammer was appointed head dietician for the athletics department at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a part-time sports nutritionist at the university for the past two years.

Originally from Philadelphia, Hammer earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics from West Chester University, where she was a three-time all-region and two-time all-conference softball player. She received a master’s degree in exercise and nutrition science from the University of Tampa.