New Duties for Seven Women Scholars at Universities

Victoria Wolcott, professor of history in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, is the new director of the university’s Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender. She joined the faculty in 2011. Dr. Wolcott is the author of Living in the Future: Utopianism and the Long Civil Rights Movement (University of Chicago Press, 2022).

Professor Wolcott is a graduate of New York University. She holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan.

Elsa Olivetti, the Jerry McAfee (1940) Professor in Engineering in the department of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been appointed associate dean of engineering at the university. She joined the MIT faculty in 2014. Her research develops experimental and analytical methods for the efficient use of industrial waste and recycled materials in concrete, metals, and plastic.

Professor Olivetti is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she majored in engineering. She earned a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at MIT.

Renata Arrington Sanders was named chief of the Craig Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a teaching facility for the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sanders was an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Dr. Sanders holds a bachelor’s degree and a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University. She earned her medical degree at the University of Virginia.

Karen Bacon, currently the dean of Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women, was named associate vice president for academic affairs at Yeshiva University in New York City. Dr. Bacon joined the faculty at Yeshiva University as an assistant professor of biology and has served as dean since 1977.

Bacon earned her bachelor’s degree from Stern College for Women and served as valedictorian of her graduating class. She earned her doctorate in microbiology from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Kristina Kersey is a new assistant professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Kersey worked for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender for over 18 years, specializing in youth defense.

Professor Kersey is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey. She earned a juris doctorate at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C.

Carrie Manning, a professor of political science, has been appointed as the new associate provost for international Initiatives at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She served as chair of the department of political science from 2011 to 2017. Her most recent book is Costly Democracy: Peacebuilding and Democratization After War (Stanford University Press, 2013).

Professor Manning is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She holds a master of public affairs degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Christina Metevier, a senior lecturer in psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts was appointed associate provost for academic programs at the university’s Mount Ida campus. She was the director of linking employment and academic development (LEAD) at the Mount Ida campus. Dr. Metevier joined the faculty in 2010.

Dr. Metevier holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and behavior from the University of Massachusetts.

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.