DeNeia B. Thomas is the inaugural vice provost at Winston-Salem State University. With extensive experience in academic leadership, she most recently served as dean of the College of Professional Studies at Lincoln University of Missouri. Earlier, she was chief of staff at West Virginia State University and associate provost at Kentucky State University.
A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kentucky State University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in educational psychology, as well as an educational specialist degree from the University of Kentucky
Lakisha Sanders is the new assistant vice president of financial aid and student fiscal affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. Her background includes over two decades of financial aid experience at both four-year and two-year institutions. She previously served as traveling financial aid consultant with Ellucian Banner.
Sanders received a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the University of Illinois and a second bachelor’s degree in information technology from Georgia Southern University. She earned an MBA in digital marketing and a master’s degree in strategic leadership and development both from Clayton State University in Georgia. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate in higher education leadership from Clark Atlanta University.
Somiah Lattimore has been named executive director of the Apex Center for Entrepreneurs at Virginia Tech. Her appointment marks a return to the university, where she previously founded FourDesign, a student-run design studio. Most recently, she was the founding senior director of the Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Initiative at the University of Richmond.
Lattimore received a bachelor’s degree in art and a master of fine art degree in graphic design from Radford University in Virginia. She holds a second master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech.
Melissa Allen was appointed director of the Center for Talent and Workforce Development at Schreiner University in Texas. She comes to her new role with 20 years of experience in education leadership, curriculum development, and workforce readiness. Her academic expertise centers on instructional technology, adult learning, faculty development, and program design.
Dr. Allen is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she majored in environmental science. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Jaime Grillo has been promoted to associate vice president for career readiness at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s liberal arts educational institution in Massachusetts. She first joined the college in 2023 as executive director of the Jones Career Development Center. Earlier, she was director of career and professional development for the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in New York.
A two-time graduate of Syracuse University in New York, Dr. Grillo earned her doctorate in instructional leadership in higher education from St. John’s University in New York City.
Marie Kane is the inaugural assistant vice president for national security research at the University of Florida. She comes to the university from Sandia National Laboratories, where she was program deputy for stockpile sustainment and production in the Nuclear Deterrence Program Management Office. Throughout her career, she has conducted extensive work with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense.
Dr. Kane earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, as well as her master’s degree and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering all from the University of Florida.