Eight Women Appointed to Administrative Roles at Colleges and Universities

Sara Lozano has been appointed vice president for academic success at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio, Texas. With over two decades of higher education experience, she most recently served as dean of the division of business, public safety, and technology at South Texas College. Earlier, she was department chair for the college’s architectural and engineering design technology program.

Dr. Lozano received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from Yale University, a master’s degree in higher education administration and leadership from Adams State University in Colorado, and a doctorate in leadership and learning in organizations from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Kelly Mahlum has been promoted to athletic director of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She has held the role on an interim basis since last summer. Prior to her interim appointment, she was deputy athletic director and senior woman administrator. She joined the college in 2020 as the head women’s basketball coach.

Mahlum holds a bachelor’s degree in art from the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a master’s degree in athletic administration from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Tershuna Bass has been named executive director of Jackson State University’s JSUOnline Department. She has a background in instructional design and educational technology, including experience in designing, developing, evaluating, and maintaining high-quality course materials.

Bass is a graduate of Jackson State University.

Masey Smith has been promoted to deputy director of the International Institute at Mississippi State University. She most recently served as program manager for the university’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security. Earlier in her tenure, she managed the Liberia TESTS Projects at the International Institute.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Mississippi State University and a master of public administration degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy and administration from Mississippi State University.

Audrey Perry Martin has been named university spokesperson for Brigham Young University in Utah. Currently, she is a partner with Lex Politica, a national political law firm. She is also the founder and CEO of Project Elect, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to encouraging Latter-day Saint women to run for political office.

Perry Martin is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she double-majored in political science and journalism. She earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings has been appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer for Howard University in Washington, D.C. She comes to her new role from Oberlin College in Ohio, where she served as vice president for finance and administration. Her background includes extensive experience in financial planning, risk management, and resource allocation.

Vazquez-Skillings received her bachelor’s degree in international studies and Latin American political history from Kenyon College in Ohio and her master of public administration degree in fiscal policy from Ohio State University.

Rosalynne Whitaker-Heck has been named associate vice president for retention and student success at Bowie State University in Maryland. She most recently served as associate provost of academic affairs at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Earlier in her career, she held administrative and faculty roles with Hampton University, Old Dominion University, and Norfolk State University.

Dr. Whitaker-Heck holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Howard University, a master’s degree in communication management from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from George Washington University.

Kamrhan Farwell has been named senior vice president for university relations at Boston University. She has served as vice chancellor of communications at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the past three years. She previously held communications positions with the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Missouri.

Farwell received her bachelor’s degree in communications at California State University, Fullerton.