Patricia Kinser has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. A VCU faculty member since 2012, she currently holds the title of Judith B. Collins and Joseph M. Teefy Distinguished Professor of Nursing. Earlier in her tenure at the university, she served as the nursing school’s assistant dean for research and scholarship. In addition to her academic work, she is an active women’s health nurse practitioner.
Dr. Kinser is a graduate of Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and neural and behavioral science. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in women’s health nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Virginia.
Julie Baldwin has been appointed dean of the College of the Sciences at Central Washington University. She comes to her new role from the University of Montana, where she has been serving as interim dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. As a geoscientist, her research spans the fields of metamorphic petrology, geochronology, and tectonics.
Dr. Baldwin received her bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Ph.D. in geology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Jaqueline Burger has been named dean of learning resources and Bucks Online at Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania. Currently teaching as a part-time instructor, she has served as the college’s interim dean of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics science June 2024. Earlier, she was an associate professor and learning technologies liaison.
Burger holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in library and information science from Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Saba Rasheed Ali has been selected to serve as interim associate provost for graduate and professional education and dean of the Graduate College at the University of Iowa. A faculty member since 2003, she recently was named a 2025 University of Iowa Distinguished Chair, one of the university’s most prestigious faculty designations. She is a full professor of counseling psychology and currently serves as associate dean for research in the College of Education.
Dr. Ali holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in community counseling from Loyola University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Oregon.
Krystyna Puć is stepping in to serve as interim dean of the division of liberal arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She recently retired from the school in December after two decades on the history and humanities faculty. During this time, she had stints as assistant dean of the division of liberal arts and coordinator for the division’s for-credit online summer program.
Dr. Puć is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston, where she majored in political science. She holds a a Ph.D. in American civilization from George Washington University.
Mandy Hart has been appointed dean of admission at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s liberal arts institution in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She comes to her new role from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she currently serves as deputy director of admission. Earlier, she was associate dean of admission and coordinator of diversity outreach at Amherst College in Massachusetts.
Hart is a graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in student affairs in higher education from Miami University in Ohio.
Brigitte Vittrup has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Professional Education at Texas Woman’s University. She has previously held other leadership roles with the university, including chair of the department of human development, family studies, and counseling and acting director of the School of Library and Information Sciences. Her academic expertise centers on child and family issues and media influences on children.
Dr. Vittrup received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas State University. She holds a second bachelor’s degree in radio, television, and film, a master’s degree in psychology, and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.