Kyna Shelley was named director of the School of Education at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Shelley, a professor of educational research, has led the school on an interim basis for the past four years. Prior to her interim appointment, she was the school’s associate director. During her tenure, she has also served as coordinator of the master’s degree and Ph.D. programs in educational research and statistics.
Dr. Shelley earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Michelle Gray was appointed associate dean for academic affairs and research in the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Gray currently serves as head of the college’s department of health, human performance, and recreation. She has also served as director of the college’s honors program and the Exercise Science Research Center.
Dr. Gray holds a bachelor’s degree in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, a master’s degree in exercise and movement science from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a Ph.D. in exercise science from the University of Arkansas.
Christi Brookes was named interim senior vice provost for academic and curricular affairs at Central Michigan University. Dr. Brookes, a professor of French, has nearly 30 years of experience in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. Most recently, she served as assistant dean of the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
Dr. Brookes earned her bachelor’s degree in French literature from the University of Arizona. She holds a master’s degree in French and a Ph.D. in French civilization from Pennsylvania State University.
Shirley Clark is the new director of the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Pennsylvania State University Harrisburg. A faculty member with the university since 2003, Dr. Clark had been serving as acting director since 2023. Earlier this year, she was named a distinguished professor of environmental engineering. Her current research centers on the challenge that society faces as urban growth and decaying infrastructure intersect with climate change and vulnerable communities.
Dr. Clark is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she majored in chemical engineering. She holds a master’s degree in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in environmental health engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Ruth Varner was promoted from interim director to permanent director of the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space (EOS) at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Varner, a professor of bio-geochemistry, first joined EOS in 1993 as a research assistant. Since that time, she has served in several leadership roles at the university. Her research focuses on trace gas emissions from terrestrial, aquatic, and human-managed ecosystems.
Dr. Varner received her bachelor’s degree in geology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire.
Janette Kim has been appointed director of the Design and Planning Assistance Center in the University of New Mexico School of Architecture. Professor Kim comes to her new role from the California College of the Arts, where she was an associate professor and co-director of the Urban Works Agency. Earlier, she directed the Applied Research Practices in Architecture initiative and the Urban Landscape Lab at Columbia University in New York City.
A graduate of Columbia University, Professor Kim earned her master of architecture degree from Princeton University.
Amy Eyler was named vice provost for academic excellence at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Eyler is a professor of public health and associate dean of the university’s Brown School. She first joined the faculty in 2012 after more than a decade of teaching at Saint Louis University. Her research examines how policies, along with the built and natural environment, impact chronic disease prevention though behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.
Dr. Eyler received her bachelor’s degree in community health and her master’s degree in physical education from Ohio University. She holds a Ph.D. in public health from Oregon State University.
Stephanie King has been named interim executive director and associate dean of the Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence at Mississippi State University. Dr. King is a professor and graduate coordinator in the university’s department of technology, leadership, and design. Earlier in her tenure, she was a curriculum coordinator with the research and curriculum unit. Her scholarship focuses on community college leadership, student success, workforce education, and online learning.
Dr. King is an alumna of the Mississippi University for Women, where she majored in biology. She received her master’s degree in animal physiology and her Ph.D. in community college leadership from Mississippi State University.
Rima Nakkash was promoted from interim chair to permanent chair of the department of global and community health in the College of Public Health at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. A faculty member since 2021, Dr. Nakkash is an internationally recognized scholar in prevention science, global health, and public health policy. Before joining George Mason, she taught at the American University of Beirut.
Dr. Nakkash is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she majored in biology. She received a master of public health degree from the American University of Beirut and a doctor of public health degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.