Kyaien O. Conner was promoted to dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Conner, the Donald M. Henderson Chair, has been serving as the school’s associate dean. She also directs the Center on Race and Social Problems at the university. Her research examines the drivers of disparities in health and mental health care access, use, and outcomes, with a focus on advancing responsive behavioral health interventions. In addition to her work at Pitt, Dr. Conner serves in a leadership capacity with the National Institutes of Health-funded Advanced Research Institute for Geriatric Psychiatry.
Dr. Conner is a four-time graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master of social work degree, a master of public health degree with a specialization in minority health and health disparities, and a Ph.D. in social work.
Rosilie Hernández was appointed dean of Honors College at the University of Illinois Chicago. A faculty member for the past 25 years, Dr. Hernández has held several leadership roles at the university, including senior associate dean for student academic affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and director of the School of Literatures, Cultural Studies, and Linguistics. Her scholarship centers on early modern Spanish literature and visual cultures.
Dr. Hernández is a graduate of Boston University, where she majored in art history. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Spanish literature from the University of California, Irvine.
Robin Hojnoski is the new dean of the College of Education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Hojonski, a professor of school psychology, has led the college as acting dean for the past two years. Earlier, she served as associate dean of graduate education. Her research focuses on the application of school psychology principles and practices to early education.
A graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, Dr. Hojnoski earned her master’s degree in child study and human development from Tufts University in Medford, Massachsuetts, and her Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Jamie Newman has been appointed dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Dr. Newman, a faculty member for the past 13 years, most recently served as director of the university’s School of Biological Sciences. Earlier, she was associate dean for research and graduate studies. Her biological research aims to advance the understanding of how environmental factors influence stem cell fate, including the processes that regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation into specialized cell types such as fat cells and bone cells.
Dr. Newman holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Amherst College in Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Donna Nicol is dean of the College of Liberal Arts at California State University, Long Beach. For the past two years, Dr. Nicol has served as the college’s associate dean for personnel and curriculum. She has more than 20 years of experience within the California State University System, including prior faculty appointments with the Dominguez Hills and Fullerton campuses. Dr. Nicol’s research and teaching centers on history and politics of African American educational access with a focus on philanthropic foundations, university trustee boards, and African American women as faculty, university administrators, and educational activists.
Dr. Nicol received her bachelor’s degree in history and African American studies from California State University, Fullerton, and her master’s degree in history from California State University, Long Beach. She holds a second master’s degree in educational policy and leadership and a Ph.D. in educational studies with a specialization in African American educational history from Ohio State University.
Julie Amador was selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Idaho. Dr. Amador, a faculty member since 2012, most recently served as the college’s associate dean for research and faculty development and as director of the Region 1 Idaho Regional Mathematics Center. Her areas of expertise include mathematics education, qualitative research, and professional noticing.
Dr. Amador is a graduate of California State University, Fresno, where she received her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and elementary education. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and K-12 administration and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Li-Chiou Chen was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University in New York. Dr. Chen’s research centers on user authentication, application security, security risk perception and management, and security policy enforcement. In addition to her deanship, she serves as the principal investigator of Pace’s CyberCorps program, a National Science Foundation-funded initiative to support undergraduate and graduate students interested in studying information assurance and cybersecurity.
Dr. Chen received her bachelor’s degree and MBA in management information systems from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan. She earned a second master’s degree and a Ph.D. in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Lynn Mayer was named senior vice provost for academic administration and dean of graduate studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. For the past 10 years, Dr. Mayer has served as the university’s vice provost for teaching and dean of undergraduate studies. She has been a full-time faculty member in the National Catholic School of Social Services since 2005. As a scholar, she studies clinical social work with children and families at risk, children with disabilities, and infants and toddlers with an emphasis on research pertaining to early intervention and child development services.
Dr. Mayer is a graduate of Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she majored in English. She holds a master of social work degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America.