New Dean Appointments for Four Women Scholars

Tracey Turner has been named chief nurse administrator and dean of the School of Nursing at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. She has over 25 years of combined experience in academic and clinical settings. Her scholarship focuses on nursing school retention, nursing student resilience, and diabetes in pregnancy.

Dr. Turner received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing from the University of Virginia. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Liberty University.

Jenna Lowder has been named dean of student and community engagement at the Lake Havasu City campus of Mohave Community College in Arizona. She comes to her new role after four years with Arizona State University, where she served as an administrator and faculty member at the university’s Lake Havasu City campus. Earlier in her career, she worked for the Lake Havasu Unified School District.

Dr. Lowder holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s degree in English, and a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. She received her doctorate in leadership and innovation from Arizona State University.

Bettina Mrusek has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide. She has worked for the university for the past decade, including service as an associate professor and chair of the department of undergraduate and graduate studies. Prior to her career in academia, she spent 14 years as a navigation technician and operational leader with the United States Marine Corps.

Dr. Mrusek is a graduate of Park University in Missouri, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in management and her MBA. She holds a master’s degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle and a Ph.D. in business administration with a specialization in management from Northcentral University.

Hillary Richardson has been selected to serve as interim dean of library services for Fant Memorial Library at Mississippi University for Women. She has been with the library since 2017, serving as an associate professor and coordinator of undergraduate research and information literacy. Previously, she held similar roles with Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Richardson holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, a master’s degree in English from the University of Mississippi, and a master of library and information science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.