Five Women Scholars Who Have Been Appointed Provosts

Rebecca W. Doerge was appointed provost at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, effective August 1. Dr. Doerge joins the Rensselaer community from Carnegie Mellon University, where she has been serving as the Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science and a faculty member of the department of biological sciences. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon in 2016, she was the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor of Statistics at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Dr. Doerge was a first-generation college student who earned a bachelor’s degree in theoretical mathematics at the University of Utah. She obtained her Ph.D. in statistics from North Carolina State University, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, studying biometry and plant breeding.

Darcy L. Medica is the new provost and vice president for academic affairs at the State University of New York-Cobleskill. Dr. Medica comes to Cobleskill from the Schuylkill Haven campus of Pennsylvania State University, where she served as director of academic affairs since 2016, in addition to her faculty position as an associate professor of biology.

Dr. Medica holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a doctorate in animal sciences from Rutgers University in New Jersey

Genyne Henry Boston was appointed provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to joining Edward Waters University, Dr. Boston served as associate provost for academic and faculty affairs at Florida A&M University and chief of staff to the provost at the university. Earlier, she served as the chair of the department of English at Florida A&M University and as the department’s director of composition studies. Dr. Boston also served as the university’s deputy director of athletics.

Dr. Boston earned a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in English, and a Ph.D. in English literature, all from Florida State University.

St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota has announced that Dianne Oliver and Denise Baird will serve as co-provosts of the university.

Dr. Oliver will hold the title of co-provost and senior vice president for academic programs and faculty affairs. Dr. Oliver joined St. Canterine University as associate provost in January 2022. Earlier, she was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. Dr. Oliver earned both her master’s degree and her doctorate in theology and ethics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She also holds a master of divinity degree from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Baird will be the co-provost and senior vice president for academic operations and student success. Before joining the university in 2020, she was associate provost at Franklin College in Indiana. There she taught courses in gender and sexuality, sociology of the family, and nonprofit leadership. Dr. Baird is a graduate of the University of Akron in Ohio, where she majored in sociology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.