Neva Specht has been appointed executive vice president and provost at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She began her appointment on May 1 after one year of service as interim provost.
Prior to her interim appointment, Dr. Specht had been serving as App State’s senior vice provost for faculty policies and development for three years. A faculty member in the department of history since 1996, she has held several leadership roles within the College of Arts and Sciences, including service as dean from 2017 to 2021. Her scholarship focuses on issues related to U.S. history, American religion, migration, the Blue Ridge Parkway, museum studies, and material culture studies.
Dr. Specht is a graduate of Grinnell College in Iowa, where she double-majored in history and American studies. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in U.S. history and material culture studies from the University of Delaware.
Jessica Lavariega Monforti was promoted from interim provost to permanent provost of California State University Channel Islands in May. She was first named interim provost during the fall 2024 semester.
With over two decades of higher education experience, Dr. Lavariega Monforti previously served as CSUCI’s vice provost and accreditation liaison officer. Her background includes service as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at California Luthern University, chair of political science at Pace University in New York, and associate dean for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas-Pan American. A dedicated advocate for equity in higher education, she is the co-founder of the national Women of Color in Political Science Workshop.
Dr. Lavariega Monforti is a graduate of Florida State University, where she double-majored in political science and women’s studies. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from Ohio State University.
Kathleen Weaver has been selected to serve as interim executive vice president and provost of Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. Her appointment went into effective on June 1.
In 2018, Dr. Weaver began her career at LMU as a professor of biology and associate provost for research, professional development, and online learning. She was promoted to the rank of vice provost four years later. Earlier, she spent 12 years on the faculty at the University of La Verne in California. In addition to her research on land snails and freshwater fish, she frequently studies STEM education and student learning, with a focus on gender equity.
Dr. Weaver received her bachelor’s degree in integrative biology from the University of California, Berkeley and her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Patsy Parker has been appointed interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She officially began her interim role on June 1.
Since joining the university’s faculty in 1999, Dr. Parker has held various academic and administrative positions. Her past leadership roles include acting vice president of student affairs, associate dean of the Everett Dobson School of Business and Technology, and chair of multiple academic departments. As a professor of business and technology, she researches female leadership, communication, and motivation.
Dr. Parker is an alumna of Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business education and her master’s degree in education. She holds a Ph.D. in adult and higher education administration from the University of Oklahoma.
Tracy Skopek has been named provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Lamar State College Orange in Texas. She will begin her new role in July.
Dr. Skopek comes to her new role from Kilgore College in Texas, where she was vice president of student learning, engagement, and student success and chief academic officer. She has held several administrative and academic roles at institutions in Texas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. Prior to her most recent position, she was dean of liberal arts and public services at Tulsa Community College.
Dr. Skopek is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in government. She holds a master of public administration degree and a Ph.D. in political science from Texas Tech University.