Nine Women Professors Appointed to New Positions at Universities

Barbara McCaskill was named distinguished research professor at the University of Georgia. She has been with the university since 1992. For the past eight years, she has served as the associate academic director of the Wilson Center for Humanities. She is the editor or author of several books, including Love, Liberation, and Escaping Slavery: William and Emily Craft in Cultural Memory (University of Georgia Press, 2015).

Dr. McCaskill is a summa cum laude graduate of what is now Columbus State University in Georgia, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in English from Emory University in Atlanta.

Beth Gibbs has joined the faculty in the School of Music at the University of Nevada-Reno as an assistant professor and director of choral activities. She comes to her new appointment from Florida Southern College, where she was a professor and director of choral studies. Her current research focuses on Basque choral music.

Dr. Gibbs holds master’s degrees in conducting and vocal performance from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Miami.

Amy Durham has been appointed associate dean for education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. A Penn faculty member since 2008, she currently teaches as a full professor of anatomic pathology. Her scholarship focuses on oncologic pathology with a particular interest in lymphoma in domestic animals.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Durham holds a masters degree in neuroscience from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She holds a doctor of veterinary medicine degree and a master’s degree in medical education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Eunjoo Cho has been named assistant dean of the honors program in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. She first joined the faculty in 2013 and now teaches as full professor of apparel, merchandising, and product development. Her academic work focuses on digital fashion branding, retailing, and sustainability in the fashion business.

Dr. Cho received her bachelor’s degree in apparel design and product development and master’s degree in apparel merchandising from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. She holds a Ph.D. in apparel merchandising and consumer behavior from Iowa State University.

Shannon Wanless has been named director of the University Center for Social And Urban Research at the University of Pittsburgh. A faculty member since 2011, she has served as executive director of the university’s Office of Child Development in the School of Education for the past seven years. In her work, she focuses on building community and social change among adults that are helping young children thrive.

Dr. Wanless holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology, anthropology, and psychology from Denison University in Ohio, a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in human development and family sciences from Oregon State University.

Elizabeth Askren has joined the faculty of the Yale School of Music as an associate adjunct professor and director of the Yale Symphony Orchestra. She has been serving as the first principal guest conductor for the Hawai’i Opera Theatre and a music staff member at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Additionally, she is the founder and artistic director of the Transylvania Opera Academy, the first-ever opera studio in Romania.

Professor Askren holds degrees in piano and conducting from The Juilliard School in New York, Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio, and Bard College in New York.

A. Carla Staver has joined the faculty at Princeton University as a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. She comes to Princeton from Yale University, where she has taught for over a decade. A scholar of plant and ecosystem ecology, she previously served as associate director of the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies.

A graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Dr. Staver holds a master’s degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and a Ph.D. from Princeton.

Cynthia Minkovitz has been named vice provost for faculty development at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. A faculty member with Johns Hopkins for more than three decades, she currently serves as the William H. Gates, Sr. Professor and chair of the department of population, family, and reproductive health. Her research focuses on enhancing systems of care and the quality of preventative services for children and families.

Dr. Minkovitz holds a bachelor’s degree, a master of public policy degree, and a medical degree all from Harvard University.

Sooyun Kim has been joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as an assistant professor of flute. A professional flutist specializing in classical music, she has performed with orchestras and symphonies around the world. She previously taught at the Longly School of Music at Bard College.

A member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Professor Kim studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Related Articles

Latest News

Data Shows High Attrition Rates for Women in STEM Degree Programs

For women who began their four-year college career in a STEM discipline, 14 percent dropped out of college and 32 percent switched to a non-STEM major before earning their degree.

Monique Guillory Named Ninth President of Dillard University

Dr. Guillory has served as Dillard University's interim president for the past seven months. Her background includes over three decades of higher education administration experience.

Lynne Coy-Organ Is the First Woman President of Husson University

Lynne Coy-Organ has been named the first woman president of Husson University in Maine. She has served as the university's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs for the past 15 years.

Donna Hedgepath Will Be the First Woman President of Wayland Baptist University

Current provost of Campbellsville University in Kentucky, Donna Hedgepath, has been named president of Wayland Baptist University in Texas, making her the first woman to be selected for the position.

Three Women Scholars Appointed to Provost Positions

The new provosts are Elizabeth Dumont at the University of California, Merced, Marguerite Giguette at Xavier University in New Orleans, and Margaret Brown Marsden at Midwestern State University in Texas.

MOSDOH – Dean of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health

The dean serves as the chief academic and administrative officer for MOSDOH, leading a mission-driven dental school known for innovation, community partnerships, and service to the underserved.

Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer

The successful candidate will have a strong financial and administrative background and demonstrated ability to excel in a fast-paced, dynamic and complex community college that values integrity, excellence, empowerment, inclusiveness, collaboration and stewardship.

Instructional Professor in Law, Letters, and Society (Open Rank)

The Social Sciences Collegiate Division at the University of Chicago is now accepting applications for a full-time Instructional Professor who will teach in the program in Law, Letters, and Society.

Instructor, Economics

The Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics at the University of Chicago invites applications for tenure-track faculty positions in Economics at the Instructor position level to begin in the 2025-26 academic year and is renewable for up to three years.

Vice Chancellor for Student Success

The Vice Chancellor for Student Success will be a strategic, student-centered, data-informed, systems thinker who thrives in a fast paced, high-achieving environment.