Kris Davitt has been named senior vice president for development at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. With over three decades of fundraising experience, she most recently served as senior vice chancellor for philanthropic and alumni engagement at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the university’s administration in 2017, she was associate vice president for development for undergraduate programs at the University of Pennsylvania.
Davitt holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brown University and a master’s degree in nonprofit and human services management from Rider University in New Jersey.
LaShannon Spencer has been appointed as vice president of governmental affairs at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. She comes to her new role from the American Hospital Association, where she was a regional executive. Earlier, she was chief executive officer of the Community Health Centers of Arkansas.
Dr. Spencer is a graduate of Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She holds a master of public administration degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a master’s degree in health services administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, and a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of Central Arkansas.
Rebecca Lowery has been named curator of exhibitions for the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University. She previously held curatorial positions with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California. She also has academic experience, previously teaching in the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University.
Dr. Lowery holds a Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University.
Kristi Northcutt has been appointed director of the University of Kansas Public Management Center. Since December 2021, she has been the city administrator for Lindsborg, Kansas. Before that, she was the senior director of community relations in Anthem, Arizona.
Northcutt is a graduate of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English and communication. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas.
Amber Rush has been named vice president of finance at Ozarka College in Melbourne, Arkansas. Her appointment marks a return to the college, where she previously served as controller. Most recently, she was a member of the finance team for the University of Arkansas System.
Rush received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Arkansas State University and an MBA from Arkansas Tech University.
Melanie Fox has been named director of assessment in the Office of Academic Affairs at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. She comes to her new role from Radford University in Virginia, where she was director of academic planning. Earlier in her tenure with Radford, she was associate director of institutional effectiveness and an assessment specialist.
Dr. Fox received her bachelor’s degree in English and French from Indiana University, a master’s degree in English from Iowa State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of West Georgia.
Jill Buban has been named the inaugural associate provost of online learning at the University of Miami. She has an extensive background in education, serving in roles at colleges and universities, as well as private organizations. Her experience in higher education includes past academic leadership positions with SUNY Empire State, Post University, Fairfield University, and Arizona State University.
Dr. Buban earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of New Hampshire, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from SUNY Plattsburgh, and a Ph.D. in educational studies with a specialization in adult learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts..
Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux has been promoted to associate vice president for campus climate, engagement, and success at the California Institute of Technology. She most recently served as the institution’s assistant vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and assessment. Although her title has been changed, she will continue to oversee Caltech’s Center for Inclusion and Diversity.
Dr. Malcom-Piqueux received her doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Marykate O’Neil has been appointed director of nondiscrimination at Barnard College, a women’s liberal arts college in New York. Most recently, she served as chief of investigations for the division of civil rights at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. She’s previously worked for the New York City Department of Education and the United States Department of Education.
O’Neil received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Boston University, a master’s degree in educational policy and social analysis from Columbia University, and a juris doctorate from the University of Connecticut.
Virginia Teachey has been named vice chancellor for business and finance and chief financial officer at North Carolina A&T State University. She comes to her new role from Pennsylvania State University, where she was associate vice president for budget and finance. Earlier, she was vice chancellor for business and administration at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Teachey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Northwood University in Michigan and an MBA from Anderson University in Indiana.