Three Women Who Have Been Selected to Serve as University Deans

Sarah Treul Roberts, a political science professor now serving as faculty director of the Program for Public Discourse, will serve as interim director and dean of the new School of Civic Life and Leadership at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The new school was mandated by the state legislature to “level the playing field” on a campus where conservatives believe liberal views are overrepresented.

Dr. Roberts joined the faculty at the university in 2011. She is the author of Agenda Crossover: The Influence of State Delegations in Congress (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

A graduate of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Professor Roberts holds a master’s degree and  Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota.

Professor Emerita Shirley Hymon-Parker will lead the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina A&T State University as interim dean. She served the college for 13 years prior to her retirement in 2022. During her tenure as associate dean of the agricultural research program, she provided oversight for more than $30 million a year in sponsored research from 2018-2022.

“I am delighted to return to the college as interim dean, during this time of transition, to be able to help steer our research, teaching, and outreach activities to new levels of excellence,” Professor Hymon-Parker said. “I will work tirelessly to fulfill our mission as we move to R1, the highest level of research attainment, to enhance our infrastructure and boost student success.”

Dr. Hymon-Parker is a graduate of North Carolina Central University, where she majored in home economics. She holds a master’s degree in apparel design from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in education policy, planning, and administration from the University of Maryland.

DeNeia Thomas is the new dean of the College of Professional Studies at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Dr. Thomas will hold supervisory responsibility over the Schools of Business, Education, and Nursing.

Previously, Dr. Thomas has served in numerous higher education administrative roles, such as vice president for enrollment and student success at Texas Southern University and chief of staff at West Virginia State University.

Dr. Thomas is a native of Kentucky. She completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kentucky State University and earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Kentucky.