Five Women Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Amy Hecht was appointed vice president for student affairs at Florida State University. She now holds the same title at The College of New Jersey in Ewing Township. She will begin her new job in July.

Dr. Hecht is a graduate of Florida State University, where she majored in mass communications. She holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rachel Burleson was named director of athletics at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. She has been serving as associate athletic director for compliance and administration at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. Earlier, she was an assistant athletics director at Western State Colorado University in Gunnison.

Burleson is a graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. She earned a master’s degree in education at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville.

Karen M. Carty is the new assistant director of athletics for marketing and communications at Grambling State University in Louisiana. She had been serving as assistant athletics director for marketing at South Carolina State University. Earlier, she was sports information director at Baltimore City Community College in Maryland.

Carty is a summa cum laude graduate of Norfolk State University in Virginia. She holds a master’s degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Alabama.

Christie Vilsack was appointed senior advisor to the chancellor for educational access at Colorado State University. She will also hold the title of Presidential Visiting Scholar of Educational Access.

The former First Lady of the state of Iowa, Vilsack served as senior advisor for international education at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Angela E. Batista was named special advisor to the president for diversity and inclusion at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. She has been serving as interim chief diversity officer at Oregon State University. She is the former dean of students at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville.

Dr. Batista is a graduate of Brooklyn College of the City University of New York System. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Vermont and an educational doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.