Five Women Who Have Been Appointed to University Dean Positions

Eun-Ok Im was appointed dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin, effective September 1. She has been serving as the senior associate dean for research and innovation and held the Edith Folsom Honeycutt Endowed Chair in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta. From 2007 to 2011, Dr. Im was the La Quinta Motor Inns Inc. Centennial Professor in Nursing at the University of Texas at Austin. Her work focuses on the use of technology-based interventions to provide innovative care and cross-cultural women’s health research.

Dr. Im received a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in public health from Seoul National University in Korea. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.

Andrea Tapia was named interim dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University. Since 2021, she has been serving as associate dean for research and professor at the college. Dr. Tapia joined the college in 2002 as an assistant professor. She was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor in 2010 and became a full professor in 2019.

Dr. Tapia is a graduate of the State University of New York at Potsdam, where she majored in Spanish and international relations. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of New Mexico.

Cindy Juntunen was named associate provost and dean of graduate studies and research at California State University, Monterrey Bay, effective September 5. She has been serving as dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of North Dakota. She had been on the faculty there for 29 years.

Dr. Juntunen is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in pre-counseling psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Nikesha Nesbitt was appointed interim dean of University College at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Dr. Nesbitt was associate dean of University College and the program director for nontraditional studies. She also was associate director of undergraduate studies. She began teaching at the university as a graduate assistant in English in 2006, then as a full-time instructor in the department of English and philosophy in 2008.

Dr. Nesbitt earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She holds a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.

Molly Land, a scholar of human rights and international law who joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2013, has been named associate dean for academic affairs at the law school. Earlier in her career, Professor Land taught at the Institute for Information Law and Policy at New York Law School.

Professor Land is a graduate of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Bonn in Germany and earned her law degree at Yale University.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Jennifer Glowienka Named the First Woman President of Carroll College in Montana

“I have dedicated my professional career to this remarkable institution, which prepares ethical leaders who engage the world with purpose and hope,” said Dr. Glowienka. “I look forward to strengthening and expanding the ways Carroll fulfills its mission, serving learners across all stages of their educational journey.”

Susan Stuebner Elevated to President of Simpson College in Iowa

Dr. Stuebner has led Simpson College on an interim basis since July 28. She has nearly 30 years of professional experience, including service as president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire.

Shari Veil Appointed Provost at North Dakota State University

“It is a privilege to work with people who care so deeply about students, discovery, and the future of North Dakota,” said Dr. Veil. “With its strong academic profile and land-grant mission, NDSU is well positioned for meaningful impact, and I look forward to partnering with my fellow Bison to advance that work.”

Mary Ann Villarreal to Lead California State University, Dominguez Hills

“As one of the most diverse campuses in the CSU system, Dominguez Hills is a vital anchor institution for the community it serves,” said Dr. Villarreal. “A beacon of inclusivity, it inspires hope – both for the community and for higher education in California.”

Penny Elkins Named the First Woman President of Mercer University

A member of the Mercer University community for over 25 years, Dr. Elkins is slated to become the institution's first woman president on January 1. She has been serving as Mercer's interim provost.

Assistant Professor Tenure Track Position — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiovascular Institute

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Quantitative Methods

The Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Methods. This position will begin on or after July 1, 2026.

Tenure Track Position in Macro-Organizational Behavior and Organizational Theory

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business seeks to fill a full-time, tenure-track assistant or associate professor position in the Organizations and Entrepreneurship Area, starting as early as Fall 2026. 

Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice and John Carter Brown Library Joint Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and the John Carter Brown Library invite applications for a postdoctoral research associate position focused on any area/theme of historical scholarship around racial slavery, and/ or Indigenous dispossession and slavery.

Teaching Faculty Position in Information Systems and Technology Management (ISTM)

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business invites applications for a full-time, appointment-stream faculty position at the Clinical Assistant Professor level in our Information Systems and Technology Management area starting Fall 2026.