Elena Irwin was appointed dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Irwin has been serving as a distinguished professor in the department of agricultural, environmental, and developmental economics and founding director of the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State University. Her research addresses the sustainability of human-natural systems at local and regional scales, including land use and ecosystem services across urban and rural areas.
Dr. Irwin is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in history and German. She holds a doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from the University of Maryland.
Rachel Carpenter has been named executive director and dean of Harlaxton College, the University of Evansville’s British campus in Grantham, England. Since 2022, Dr. Carpenter has served as University of Evansville’s vice president for student affairs and dean of students. Earlier in her career, she was dean of students at Harlaxton College and held various senior leadership roles in student affairs at Pace University in New York.
Dr. Carpenter earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Japanese and a master’s degree in public services administration from the University of Evansville. She earned a doctor of professional studies degree from Pace University.
Jennifer A. Wade-Berg is the new dean of the College of Health and Human Services at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Wade-Berg comes to her new role from Kennesaw State University in Georgia, where she was a professor in the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services. She also served as the university’s first chief diversity officer and first assistant dean for student success. Her scholarship spans social enterprise, cultural fluency, sports philanthropy, competency-based learning, and student success.
Dr. Wade-Berg holds a bachelor’s degree in American government from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and master’s and doctoral degrees in public administration from the University of Georgia.
Mandy Haag was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics at Vincennes University in Indiana. She first joined the university in 2005 as a professional tutor and adjunct instructor in the mathematics department. She became a full-time faculty member in 2012 and was appointed chair of the mathematics department in 2019.
Haag holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Southern Indiana and a master’s degree in mathematics education from Western Governors University.
Christa Payne is interim dean of the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University in New Orleans. Payne has served as the school’s chief business officer for nearly a decade. Before joining the Tulane community in 2016, Payne worked in information technology, business development, K-12 foundation work, and public sector consulting.
Payne received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Sewanee: The University of the South and her MBA from Tulane University.
Brandi Renée Avila has been named dean of student support services at Fullerton College in California. Her appointment marks a return to the college, where she previously spent seven years in a variety of student services roles. Most recently, Dr. Avila was dean of student development and wellness at Moreno Valley College in California. As a scholar, she examines the impact of racialized stress and trauma on Black women who are community college educators that lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Dr. Avila is a two-time graduate of California State University, Northridge, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and Pan-African studies and her master’s degree in sociology. She received a second master’s degrees in counseling from San Diego State University and a doctorate in educational leadership for social justice from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.