Rebecca Klaper has been named dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware. For the past three years, Dr. Klaper has served as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, where she has taught since 2003. Dr. Klaper is also the founder of the university’s Great Lakes Genomic Center. Her research centers on investigating emerging contaminants in freshwater and how they may impact environmental health.
Dr. Klaper is an honors graduate of the University of Illinois, where she majored in biology. She holds a master’s degree in entomology and a doctorate in ecology from the University of Georgia.
Jessica Kubiak is vice president and dean of academic affairs for the University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford and Titusville campuses. Dr. Kubiak previously worked for Pitt-Bradford as a staff member and adjunct instructor. Most recently, she was vice president of academic affairs and workforce development at Jamestown Community College within the State University of New York System.
Dr. Kubiak is an alumna of the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, where she graduated summa cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in English. She holds a master’s degree in adult education from SUNY’s Buffalo State University and a Ph.D. in English from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Gerrelyn Patterson is dean of the College of Education at Virginia State University. Dr. Patterson comes to her new appointment with more than 25 years of experience in P-12 and higher education. She most recently served as chair of the department of educator preparation at North Carolina A&T State University. Her scholarship centers on school desegregation and preparing culturally responsive teachers.
Dr. Patterson is a graduate of North Carolina Central University, where she majored in English literature. She holds a master’s degree in English education from the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in curriculum, culture, and change from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Shannon “Nikki” Clifford is dean of the School of Health Sciences at Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey. Dr. Clifford joins the university from Monmouth University in New Jersey, where she has served as acting dean of the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies and associate dean for academic affairs, scholarship, and strategic initiatives since 2022.
Dr. Clifford holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, a master’s degree in physical therapy, and a Ph.D. in rehabilitation counseling, all from the University of Pittsburgh.
Beth Longenecker is founding dean of the new College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Northern Colorado. Before coming to the university, Dr. Longenecker was the Athens campus dean at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has also held key leadership roles with Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Dr. Longenecker received her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Ohio University and her master’s degree in medical education and leadership from the University of New England.
Julie A. Washington was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. A member of the university’s faculty since 2021, Dr. Washington previously served as chair of the department of communication sciences and disorders at Georgia State University and chair of the department of communicative disorders at the University of Wisconsin. As a speech language pathologist, she focuses her research on the intersection of literacy, language variation, and poverty.
Dr. Washington is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree in speech and language pathology and a Ph.D. in education with a concentration in speech and language pathology from the University of Michigan.
Martha Kline is dean of campus and community engagement at Ohio University-Zanesville. She has spent the past two years as interim dean of campus and community relations at Ohio University-Lancaster. Dr. Kline first joined the Lancaster campus in 1996 and has since served in several roles, including coordinator for the university division and faculty chair and associate professor of chemistry.
Dr. Kline is an alumna of Ohio University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina.