Seven Women Appointed to Dean Positions at Colleges and Universities

Sara Montgomery has been promoted to dean of education at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota. Prior to her new appointment, she served the college as a faculty member and coordinator for the elementary education program. Earlier in her career, she was the director for the Native teacher program at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota.

Montgomery holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Gerarda M. Shields has been named dean of students and senior associate vice president of student life at Manhattan College in New York. She has served as an adjunct associate professor for civil and environmental engineering at the college since 2010. Earlier, she served as dean of the School of Technology & Design at the New York City College of Technology.

Dr. Shields is a two-time alumna of Manhattan College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in civil engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the City College of New York.

Bernadette Donovan-Merkert has been named founding dean of the College of Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte after holding the position in the interim for the over a year. Before her interim appointment, she spent 18 years as chair of the university’s department of chemistry. She also served as director of the Ph.D. in nanoscale science program.

Dr. Donovan-Merkert earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Vermont.

Elise Hepworth has been appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University. She comes to her new role from Missouri Western State University, where she currently serves as assistant vice president and vice provost.

Dr. Hepworth is an undergraduate alumna of Northwest Missouri State University, where she majored in music education. She holds a master’s degree in music education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a doctorate in vocal pedagogy from the University of Mississippi.

Susan Davis has been named dean of professional services at Southern Regional Technical College in Georgia. She first joined the institution in 2002 as an adult literacy instructor. Prior to her new appointment, she served as the division chair for business technology and media.

Davis holds a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting from Georgia Southwestern State University and a master of education degree in business education from Valdosta State University in Georgia.

Bridgett Golman has been named interim vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Tennessee State University. She has nearly three decades of combined experience in higher education and student affairs at research universities, public universities, and community colleges.

Dr. Golman holds a master’s degree in student counseling and personnel services from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate in higher education administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Debbie Thomas has been appointed the founding dean of the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies on the Galveston campus at Texas A&M University. She has been a faculty member with the Texas A&M University system for two decades. Currently, she serves as associate provost of the university system, professor of oceanography, and the executive associate vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer for the Galveston campus.

Dr. Thomas is a graduate of Brown University, where she majored in geological sciences. She holds a master’s degree in marine sciences and her doctorate in geological sciences from the University of North Carolina.