Archive for 2023
Seven Women Who Have Been Assigned New Higher Education Administrative Duties
Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@WIAReport.com.
The Gender Gap for College-Educated Computer Science Workers
Though women’s representation in STEM fields generally has increased in recent decades, their presence in the workforce – which accounts for about half the jobs in STEM fields – remains low, and the gender wage gap in computer science persists.
Kathleen M. Murray Will Be the Next President of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota
Dr. Murray was the the first woman president at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. Earlier she served as provost and dean of the faculty at Macalester College in St. Paul, as provost at Birmingham-Southern College, and as a professor of piano, dean of the conservatory, and dean of the faculty at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Women Are More Likely Than Men to Disclose Negative Information
A new study led by Erin Carbone, visiting assistant professor in the department of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, has found that men are less eager and likely to share negative information than women, while there was little difference when it comes to positive news.
Jenna Carpenter Selected to Lead the Mathematical Association of America
Jenna Carpenter is the founding dean of the School of Engineering and professor of engineering at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. She will become president of the association on July 1, 2024. Dr, Carpenter is currently the president of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Women Making Some Progress in Business School Enrollments
Five years ago, the business school at the University of Southern California was the first major business school to report that women made up a majority of all enrollments. This year, according to data from the Forte Foundation, five of the world’s leading business schools reported that they had reached gender equality in enrollments.
Ferrum College in Virginia Appoints Mirta Martin as Its Thirteenth President
Dr. Marti has served as interim president since January 2, 2023. Earlier, she was president of Fairmont State University in West Virginia from 2018 to 2022 and president of Fort Hays State University in Kansas from 2014 to 2016.
In Memoriam: Janet Martin, 1938-2023
After four years as an instructor and assistant professor at Harvard University, including a year as a fellow of the American Academy in Rome, Dr. Martin spent the rest of her academic career at Princeton. She joined the Princeton faculty in 1973, where she taught for 37 years.
Recent Books of Interest to Women Scholars
Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.
Online Articles of Interest to WIAReport Readers
Each week, Women in Academia Report will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
In Memoriam: Anne Alice Skleder, 1965-2023
Anne Skleder, the tenth president of Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia, and the first women president in its 145-year history, has died in Atlanta after a lengthy battle with leukemia.
Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education
Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.
Six Women Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Roles or Duties
The women scholars in new roles are Jennifer Hookstra at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Karyn Brown at Mississippi State University, Jamila Michener at Cornell University, Jaime Sand at Boise State University in Idaho, Felicis Jefferson at the University of Nevada Reno, and Brynja Kohler at Utah State University.
In Memoriam: Ann Kramer Clark, 1943-2023
Dr. Clark earned a bachelor’s degree at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in philosophy the University of Texas at Austin. There she was the only woman in her graduating class. She ten taught at St. Mary’s College in Indiana for 41 years.
A Quartet of Women Who Have Been Appointed Deans
JoNes VanHecke was named dean of students at St. Catherine University in Minnesota and Cynthia Mejia has been appointed the interim dean of the College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. Donna Bontatibus has been named dean of students and faculty at Connecticut State Community College Middlesex and Danielle Lauria is the new dean of nursing, health, and wellness at MiraCosta College in California.
Jaclyn Nunziato Has Received the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award
Jaclyn Nunziato, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, received student-nominated honor that recognizes a faculty physician who exemplifies qualities of a caring and compassionate mentor in the teaching and advising of medical students.
Universities Announce the Appointments of Seven Women to Administrative Positions
Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@WIAReport.com.
Professor Rachel Dickey Wins the Cultural Heritage Landscape Award for a Plaza in Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rachel Dickey is an associate professor in the David R. Ravin School of Architecture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and founder of Studio Dickey, a Charlotte-based art and design practice.
Three Women Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to Endowed Chairs
Marina Halac has been appointed the Stanley Resor (B.A. 1901) Professor of Economics at Yale University. Jessica Ridgway Clayton was named to a Carol Avery Professorship at the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University and Elinor K. Karlsson has been appointed the Dr. Eileen L. Berman and Stanley I. Berman Foundation Chair in Biomedical Research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Murray State University’s Rebecca Rosen Honored by the Modern Language Association
Rebecca M. Rosen, assistant professor of English at Murray State University in Kentucky, has been awarded the 2022 Richard Beale Davis Prize. This award is presented by the Modern Language Association Early American Literature Forum.
Three Women Who Are Taking on New Roles Relating to Diversity in Higher Education
Kristina Londy was promoted to director of student success and inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California. Gillian McKnight-Tutein was appointed chief educational equity officer for the Colorado Department of Higher Education and S. Brooke Vick was named vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
Gender Differences in Graduate Degree Awards
Data from the Council of Graduate Schools shows that women earned 33,784 master’s degrees in the 2021-22 academic year. This was 66.9 percent of all master’s degrees awarded. Women earned 43,027 doctoral degrees in the 2021-22 academic year. This was 54.5 percent of all doctoral degrees awarded.
Melanie Robbins Selected to Lead White Mountains Community College in New Hampshire
Robbins has been affiliated with WMCC since 1996, having begun as a part-time teacher assistant for what was then the New Hampshire Technical College-Berlin. Her work shifted to the college’s Littleton Academic Center where he eventually became director.
New Study Examines Gender Differences in Faculty Attrition Rates
Within the first 20 years of a faculty member’s career post-Ph.D., overall attrition rates range from approximately 2 percent to 5 percent. At all stages that number is higher for women. Researchers also found women leave or consider leaving because of workplace climate more often than work-life balance.
The Genomics Institute at the University of California, Santa Cruz Names Its New Leader
Lauren Linton is a scientist, entrepreneur, and executive with experience leading institutions in genomics, pharmaceutical and diagnostic development, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, and innovation. She is well known in the genomics community as one of the leaders of the original Human Genome Project.
Study Finds That Air Pollution May Contribute to Early-Onset Puberty for Girls
The average age of girls’ first periods is believed to have declined by three of four years over the past century. Why does this matter? Girls who have their first periods at an earlier age face increased risk for several diseases later during their lifetime, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Mitra Hooshmand Is the New Leader of the Human Milk Institute at the University of California, San Diego
The university launched the Human Milk Institute in October 2022 to accelerate research on the nature, biology, and therapeutic potential of human milk. The institute is believed to be the first of its kind worldwide.
In Memoriam: Louise Elizabeth Glück, 1943-2023
Louise Glück was the Frederick Iseman Professor in the Practice of Poetry in the department of English at Yale University. She earned the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2020
Recent Books of Interest to Women Scholars
Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.
Online Articles of Interest to WIAReport Readers
Each week, Women in Academia Report will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
In Memoriam: Sandra Williams Rackley, 1937-2023
Dr. Rackley began her career by joining the faculty of Florida A&M University. She later moved to Florida State University to join the faculty in the College Communication. There she served as associate dean and later dean of undergraduate studies.
Mary Eileen O’Brien to Retire From Presidency of Dominican University in Orangetown, New York
In 1977, she joined the staff at what was then Dominican College. She was named president in 1979 and served until 1987 when she left to lead the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt for six years. In 1997, she was chosen to serve again as president of the college and has remained in the position ever since.
In Memoriam: Karin Woodruff Jackson, 1940-2023
In 1974, Jackson began teaching courses in women’s studies at the University of Southern Maine. She went on to teach for 10 years at Westbrook College in Portland, Maine, and later for 20 years at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Three Women Who Have Been Appointed Deans of Pharmacy Schools
Rae Matsumoto has been appointed dean of the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawai’i Hilo. Kerry LaPlante, was named dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Rhode Island and Sarah Michel has been named dean of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
Princeton’s Bonnie Bassler Shares the 2023 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research
Dr. Bassler first discovered that bacteria communicate during her postdoctoral work, and she has spent her career identifying and characterizing the molecules that bacteria use to coordinate collective behaviors and share other kinds of information.
