Eight Women Who Have Been Selected for Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Jennifer Wiggins has been named the inaugural director of the Office of Sexual Violence and Prevention and Education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Previously, she served as associate dean of students and the inaugural director for gender violence prevention at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She is also a licensed professional counselor.

Wiggins holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish from the now-closed Cabrini University in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

Nashiba Boyd has been appointed general counsel at South Carolina State University. With over 20 years of legal experience, she specializes in civil litigation and business law. She also has a background in providing counsel on regulatory compliance, workplace investigations, and risk management for a wide range of clients.

Boyd is a graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina and the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

Amber M. K. Smallwood has been named senior vice provost of faculty affairs at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She comes to her new role from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she served as vice provost of academic innovation. Earlier in her career, she served as interim dean of the College of Social Sciences at the University of West Georgia.

Dr. Smallwood is a graduate of the University of Texas, where she majored in radio, television, and film. She holds a master’s degree in telecommunications from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in mass communication and American studies from Indiana University Bloomington.

Francine Newsome Pfeiffer has been appointed senior vice president for government relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey. For the past 27 years, she has worked for Rutgers’ Office of Federal Relations in Washington, D.C., including 20 years as the office’s director. In this role, she was responsible for building relationships with federal policymakers to advance Rutgers’ campus priorities.

Pfeiffer received her bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Rutgers University.

Janice Nerger has been appointed advisor to the chief academic officer of the Colorado State University System. She has served as a faculty member with the university since 1994. For the past 15 years, she has served as dean of the College of Natural Sciences. During her long tenure, she had a one-year stint as interim provost.

Dr. Nerger holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of California, San Diego.

Reverend Julie Kelly has been appointed Lutheran chaplain at Syracuse University in New York. She has over 30 years of experience in preparing families for military life and advocating for marginalized communities. Her background in higher education includes service as a chaplain with the University of Southern California.

Rev. Kelly received her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and human services from Fort Hayes State University in Kansas and a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary in Minnesota.

Kimberly Woodard has been appointed vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the college foundation at Stillman College in Alabama. For the past three years, she has served as executive director of alumni affairs and development and executive director of the aumni association at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She has more than 25 years of fundraising experience in higher education, previously holding positions with Tuskegee University, Wiley University, and Dillard University.

Woodard holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tuskegee University in Alabama and a certification in fundraising management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Susie Nicholson has been named associate director of development for the School of Law at the University of Arkansas. She brings over two decades of experience in higher education to her new role. She previously served as vice president for student services and university relations at Arkansas Tech University. Most recently, she served as director of strategic services for Sells Agency.

Nicholson received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arkansas and her master’s degree in student affairs administration from Arkansas Tech University.