New Dean Appointments for Four Women in Academia

Amanda Haertling Thein has been named dean of the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder. She comes to her new role from the University of Iowa, where she currently serves as associate provost for graduate and professional education, dean of the Graduate College, and professor of education. Her research focuses on teacher education and equity in high school English language arts instruction.

Dr. Thein is an alumna of the University of Colorado, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English and journalism. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Denver and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Minnesota.

Sarah A. Soule has been appointed dean of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She will become the school’s first woman dean upon assuming her role in June. A Stanford faculty member since 2008, she has served in several leadership capacities, including senior associate dean for academic affairs, the Sara Miller McCune Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and director of the VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab’s Corporate Program.

Dr. Soule earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Vermont. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in sociology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Nancy La Vigne has been named dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University in New Jersey. For the past three years, she has served as director of the National Institute of Justice. With a robust background in criminal justice policymaking, she previously served as vice president of justice policy at Urban Institute. Earlier in her career, she was executive director of the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections Reform.

Dr. La Vigne received her bachelor’s degree in government from Smith College in Massachusetts, her master of public administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her Ph.D. in criminal justice from Rutgers University.

Jessica Slaten has been promoted to dean of financial and administrative services at Gadsden State Community College in Alabama. Her career with Gadsden State began in 1998 as an accountant. Since then, she has gone on to hold several financial leadership roles, including financial manager and director of financial services.

Slaten holds a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

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