Melissa Berke was named senior associate dean of the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She most recently served as the college’s associate dean, overseeing academic affairs and assisting with operations. Before transitioning her career to administration, Dr. Berke served as the first woman and first chair of color for the university’s music department, where she taught courses in music education.
Dr. Berke earned her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in music education from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Nichole Reynolds was promoted from interim vice president to permanent vice president for enrollment management at Bryn Mawr College, a women’s liberal arts educational institution in Pennsylvania. Reynolds first joined the college in 2022 as dean of undergraduate admissions. Earlier, she was director of enrollment marketing and communications and senior associate director of admission at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
Reynolds received her bachelor’s degree in English from Mount Holyoke College and her master’s degree in American studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Kristi Ohr was promoted to director of academic safety at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In this role, Dr. Ohr will provide leadership in supporting research and academic safety in programs across campus. Before beginning her career at the university, Dr. Ohr was the chemical hygiene officer for Amherst College.
Dr. Ohr is a graduate of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where she majored in chemistry. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Pennsylvania State University.
Celeste Derey Brogdon is assistant dean of advancement for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. She has over two decades of experience in university advancement, agricultural partnerships, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Brogdon spent over a decade at North Carolina State University, where she held several leadership roles and helped guide major agricultural and research-driven initiatives.
Brogdon earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Shalana Yates has been named director of the Cherokee Center at Western Carolina University. Yates has a background in nonprofit organizations, operations management, and tribal government. In her new role, she will work with students, faculty, staff, and community partners to strengthen relationships between the university and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
An enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cheorkee Indians, Yates holds an associate’s degree in entrepreneurship from Southwestern Community College in North Carolina, a bachelor’s degree in business administration and law from Western Carolina University, and a master’s degree in business law and compliance from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is currently pursuing a juris doctorate at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota.
Natalie Nobinger is director of undergraduate admissions at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She comes to her new role with 16 years of progressive admissions and enrollment experience within the UNC System. Most recently, she was director of enrollment systems and operations at North Carolina State University.
Nobinger holds a bachelor’s degree in higher education administration from Goucher College in Baltimore and a master’s degree in political science from North Carolina State University.
Joan McDermott has been selected to serve as interim director of athletics at Sonoma State University in California. McDermott has four decades of experience in collegiate athletics as a coach and administrator. She previously served as the athletic director for Metropolitan State University in Denver and the University of San Francisco.
McDermott earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and physical education from the University of San Francisco, where she was a four-time letter winner on the women’s volleyball team. She holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Stanford University in California.