Four Women Promoted to Dean Positions at Universities

Ka Yee C. Lee was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the physical sciences division at the University of Chicago. Dr. Lee, the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry, has taught at the university since 1998. An expert in membrane biophysics, Dr. Lee has served in several roles throughout her long tenure, including provost and vice provost for research.

Dr. Lee is a graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she majored in electrical engineering. She received her master’s degree and Ph.D. in applied physics from Harvard University and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Marjorie Shavers has been selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Education at Missouri State University. A faculty member since 2021, Dr. Shavers currently serves as the college’s associate dean. Earlier in her tenure, she served as head of the counseling, leadership, and special education department and director of the School of Special Education, Leadership, and Professional Studies.

Dr. Shavers holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in community counseling, and a doctorate in counselor education, all from Ohio State University.

Christina Saenger has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University in Ohio. Prior to her interim appointment, Dr. Saenger was the college’s associate dean. She first joined the Youngstown State faculty in 2014 and has also served as director of faculty relations. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, marketing strategy, and word-of-mouth communication.

Dr. Saenger received her bachelor’s degree in business and organizational communication and her MBA from the University of Akron in Ohio. She holds a doctorate in marketing from Kent State University in Ohio.

Emily Tanner-Smith was named dean of the College of Education at the University of Oregon, where she has taught in the department of counseling psychology and human services for nearly a decade. She also serves as the inaugural executive director of the college’s HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice. Her work centers on youth behavioral and mental health, particularly substance-use prevention and research synthesis for evidence-based decision-making.

A graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, Dr. Tanner-Smith earned her master’s degree and doctorate from Vanderbilt University.

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