New Dean Appointments for Seven Women Leaders in Higher Education

Angela Pool-Funai has been named dean of the University of Wyoming’s branch campus in Casper. Dr. Pool-Funai most recently served as assistant provost for academics and dean of the Graduate School and Office of Research at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Before joining the Fort Hays State faculty in 2021, she was director of the master of public administration program and interim associate dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Southern Utah University.

Dr. Pool-Funai is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication, journalism, and economics. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and administration from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a doctorate in public administration from Valdosta State University in Georgia.

Catherine P. Bradshaw is the incoming dean of the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Bradshaw comes to Johns Hopkins from the University of Virginia, where she served as senior associate dean for research and University Professor in the School of Education. As a scholar, she studies school safety, student mental health, and the prevention of bullying and other aggressive behavior among youth.

Dr. Bradshaw holds a master of education degree in counseling from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

Katherine Eggert has been selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. A faculty member with the university’s department of English for the past 35 years, Dr. Eggert currently serves as vice chancellor and senior vice provost for academic planning and assessment. Earlier in her tenure, she served as chair of her department and director of the Center for British and Irish Studies. Her latest book is Disknowledge: Literature, Alchemy, and the End of Humanism in Renaissance England (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015).

A graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas, Dr. Eggert earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

Marcia Weiss was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Fashion and Textiles at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In addition to her background in education, Weiss has extensive industry experience, including service as vice president of design for the house fabrics division at Burlington Industries. A specialist in woven design, Weiss focuses her research on culturally significant textile practices in West Africa and Central Asia.

Weiss earned her bachelor’s degree in textile design from the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science and her master of fine arts degree in fibers from Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia.

Yael Grushka-Cockayne has been named dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Dr. Grushka-Cockayne, the Landmark Communications Professor of Business Administration, will be the first woman to lead the school. She currently serves as senior associate dean for the full-time MBA program and academic co-director of the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business. Additionally, Dr. Grushka-Cockayne holds a courtesy appointment as a professor of data science.

Dr. Grushka-Cockayne received her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. She holds a master’s degree in operational research from the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as a master’s degree in decision sciences and a doctorate in management science and operations from London Business School.

Azadeh Keivani is the new dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Lehman College in The Bronx, New York. She comes to her new role with a combination of scientific training, academic leadership, and industry experience. A prior faculty member at Columbia University, Dr. Keivani previously worked in data science and AI at Deloitte. She is also founder of the nonprofit Digital Age Academy.

Dr. Keivani is a graduate of Sharif University of Technology in Iran, where she majored in physics. She received her Ph.D. in physics from Louisiana State University.

Julie Amador is interim dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences at the University of Idaho. Dr. Amador, a faculty member since 2012, currently serves as the college’s associate dean for research and faculty development and director of the Region 1 Idaho Mathematics Center. Earlier in her career, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University.

Dr. Amador received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from California State University, Fresno. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and a doctorate in curriculum, teaching, and learning with an emphasis in mathematics education from the University of Nevada.

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