Five Women Scholars Who Have Been Given New Positions or Duties at Colleges or Universities

DeAnna Toten Beard, chair of the department of theatre arts and professor of theatre history and dramaturgy at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has been selected as vice provost for faculty affairs, effective July 1. She joined the faculty in the department of theatre arts in 2002.

Dr. Toten Beard earned a bachelor’s degree in theatre and English literature from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She holds a master of fine arts degree in dramaturgy from Stony Brook University in New York and a Ph.D. in theatre history, literature, and criticism from Indiana University.

Elisha Chambers was appointed director of the new master’s degree program in occupational therapy at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She taught in occupational therapy programs at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Chambers earned a bachelor’s degree in hearing and speech sciences from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Howard University and a Ph.D. in health-related sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Maegan Tucker was named an assistant professor in both the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, effective January 2024.

Dr. Tucker is a graduate of Georgia Tech and soon will be awarded a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.

Erin O’Leary, an associate professor of biological sciences and executive director of Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence at the University of Illinois Chicago, has been appointed vice provost for teaching and learning at the University of California, Los Angeles. Earlier, she had been on the faculty at UCLA for 15 years.

Dr. O’Leary earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at DePaul University in Chicago. She holds a Ph.D. in biological chemistry from UCLA.

Amy Nail is a new assistant professor of educational leadership at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She will direct the master’s degree program in educational leadership.

Nail holds degrees from High Point University in North Carolina and Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.