Six Women Appointed to Administrative Roles in Academia

Michele Schiele has been named senior vice president for advancement at Boston University. She comes to her new role from Stanford University, where she most recently served as deputy vice president of development and campaign director. Earlier, she held various development leadership roles with the University of Chicago.

Schiele is a graduate of Boston University.

LaTonya Branham has been appointed vice provost for enrollment and academic strategy at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Her experience in higher education includes past positions with Wilberforce University, DePauw University, Central State University, and Sinclair Community College. She is the author of several books, including The Academic Prayer: An Inspirational Guide for College Success (Desta Publishing, 2013).

Dr. Branham holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Wilberforce University. She earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in leadership and change from Antioch University.

Kathryn Griffo has been named vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been an administrator with the Ivy League university for nearly two decades. Prior to her new appointment, she was the chief advancement officer for Penn Medicine Development and Alumni Relations.

Griffo earned her bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

April Kaull has been named associate vice president for strategic communications at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, she served as executive director of communications at West Virginia University. Before joining the WVU administration in 2015, she was vice president of news operations for West Virginia Media LLC.

Kauli holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast news and a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University.

Kim Harris has been appointed vice president for advancement at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. She is the university’s first woman to serve in this position. An administrator with the university since 2021, she most recently served as senior associate vice president for advancement and campaign director.

Harris earned her bachelor’s degree in English and elementary education from the College of Wooster in Ohio.

Atia Garrett-Washington has been appointed executive director of recruitment, admissions, and programming at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She brings over a decade of experience in enrollment and strategic management to her role. She most recently served as executive director of admissions, recruitment, and dual enrollment at Southern University in New Orleans.

Dr. Garrett-Washington is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she majored in applied science with a focus on informatics. She holds a master’s degree in education technology leadership and a doctorate in adult learning and development from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.