Neela Rajendra has been selected to serve as interim vice president for institutional diversity at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Most recently, Rajendra was chief inclusion officer and chief team excellence and employee success officer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Earlier, she held various academic and administrative roles at Claremont McKenna College in California.
Rajendra received her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MBA from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Marquita J. Graves is the new university registrar for North Carolina A&T State University. Most recently, Graves served in the same capacity at Winston-Salem State University. Before becoming registrar at Winston-Salem State in 2020, she was the university’s associate registrar. Earlier, she spent over a decade serving in various roles in the Office of the Registrar at Averett University in Danville, Virginia.
Graves earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Averett University.
Christine Hutchins has been named the inaugural vice president for marketing and strategic communications at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. With nearly 20 years of higher education experience, Hutchins most recently served as the chief marketing and communications officer at Saint Mary’s College of California. Previously, she was senior associate vice president for strategic communication and marketing at San José State University in California.
Hutchins holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.
Aurali Dade was promoted from interim vice president to permanent vice president for enterprise risk management and chief risk officer at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Before her interim appointment, Dr. Dade spent over three years on an Intergovernmental Personnel Act appointment at the National Science Foundation, where she served as a program director in the Technology Innovation and Partnerships Directorate. She previously held other research leadership roles at George Mason.
Dr. Dade earned her Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Karen Eye is director of development for the David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. In this role, she will work closely with the college’s administrators, faculty, and staff to advance fundraising priorities and cultivate meaningful donor relationships. Earlier in her career, Eye was director of development for the university’s College of Education and Allied Professions.
Eye is a graduate of James Madison University.
Dee Dee Mayer was appointed university chaplain at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. A licensed clinical social worker, Dr. Mayer currently serves as senior director of the RelateStrong program in Pepperdine’s Boone Center for the Family. Previously, she was associate head of school for spiritual life at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California.
Dr. Mayer earned a master of social work degree from California State University, Long Beach and a doctor of ministry degree from Azusa Pacific University in California.
Mary Czech-Mrochinski was promoted to associate vice provost for governmental affairs at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where she has worked since 2000. Czech-Mrochinski joined the university as director of state relations and most recently served as senior director of public affairs. In January, she took on additional responsibilities as acting associate vice provost.
Czech-Mrochinski earned both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in political science from Marquette University.
Rachael Honig was named senior vice president and general counsel for the University of Rochester in New York. She comes to her new role from Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she currently serves as vice president and chief university compliance officer. In 2021, Honig served as acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Within higher education, her legal expertise spans Title IX, ADA, human resources, policy development and compliance, enterprise risk management, and internal audit.
Honig earned her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.