Two Women Named to Chief Academic Officer Positions

Debra Larson was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Chico. She will take office on March 1.

Since 2011, Dr. Larson has been serving as dean of the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Earlier, she held several academic posts during a 17-year career at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

Dr. Larson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton. She earned a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Arizona State University.

Donde Plowman was named executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Since 2010, Dr. Plowman has served as dean of the College of Business at the university.

Earlier, Dr. Plowman was associate dean for graduate studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She served on the faculty there for nine years.

Dr. Plowman is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.