Boise State University in Idaho has announced the appointment of three faculty members to endowed chairs. All three appointments went to women.
“Through the generosity of Boise State donors we’ve been able to install these three impressive faculty members, whose expertise and scholarship have an enormous impact on the students they teach,” said vice president for university advancement Matthew Ewing.
“We are amplifying faculty innovation at Boise State by focusing on endowed faculty positions that can elevate the success of our students and campus,” added Marlene Tromp, president of the university. “Recruiting and retaining high-caliber faculty researchers opens the doors to exciting research opportunities for our students, grows our impact, and produces findings that have real impacts in our community.”
The three women appointed to endowed chairs are:
Ruth Jebe was named to the Robert V. Hansberger Endowed Chair in Business Ethics. She joined the faculty at the university in 2016 after teaching for 12 years at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. Her research explores ethical issues for multinational corporations and sustainability in business. Professor Jebe holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota. She earned a master’s degree in management from the University of Denver.
Stephanie Martin was appointed to the Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair in Public Affairs. She was an associate professor of communication and public affairs at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Her most recent book, Decoding the Digital Church: Evangelical Storytelling and the Election of Donald J. Trump (University of Alabama Press, 2021), was a finalist for the Book of the Year Award from the Religious Communication Association. Dr. Martin is a graduate of Boise State University, where she majored in business administration. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Syracuse University in New York and a Ph.D. in communication from the University of California, San Diego.
Emily Wakild now holds the Andrus Center for Public Policy Endowed Chair. She joined the university’s department of history in 2012 and directed the environmental studies program from 2018 to 2022. She is a scholar of nature conservation and public lands and has published widely on environmental pedagogy. Dr. Wakild is the author of Revolutionary Parks: Conservation, Social Justice, and Mexico’s National Parks, 1910-1940 (University of Arizona Press, 2011). Professor Wakild is a graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Dr. Geneco comes to her new role from Tufts University in Massachusetts, where she has served as provost for the past four years. She is slated become the University at Buffalo's first woman president on August 10.
The new presidents are Laurie A. Boeding at the Technical College of the Lowcountry and Melissa Frank-Alston at Northeastern Technical College. Both women are expected to begin their presidencies on July 1.
Dr. McEwen comes to her new appointment following four years as president and vice chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Earlier, she served in several leadership roles at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She received some of her education in the United States.
The new provosts are Barbara Rodriguez at the University of New Mexico, Bridget Chalk at Manhattan University in New York, and Jaci Lederman at Vincennes University in Indiana. All three women had been serving as their university's interim provost.
Dr. Howard joins Spelman from Ohio State University, where she has been serving as dean of the College of Engineering. She is a nationally recognized expert in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-centered technology.