Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.
Clemson University in South Carolina received a $746,250 grant under the U.S. Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance for Areas of National Need program. The grant will provide scholarships for women and members of underrepresented groups who want to pursue doctorates in chemical engineering. Women account for less than a third of all doctoral degrees in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
Cornell University received a $294,843 grant from Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations that is funded by the governments of Canada and Norway. The grant will fund research into how to get more women involved in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The research will be under the direction of Sabrina Karim and assistant professor of government at Cornell University. Dr. Karim is the co-author of Equal Opportunity Peacekeeping: Women, Peace, and Security in Post-Conflict States (Oxford University Press, 2017). She is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Dr. Karim holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford in England and a Ph.D. from Emory University in Atlanta.
Hope College in Holland, Michigan, received a $223,621 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation for programs to increase the number of women pursuing degrees in computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics. The grant will provide opportunities for undergraduate women to participate in research and summer internships.
Dr. Geneco comes to her new role from Tufts University in Massachusetts, where she has served as provost for the past four years. She is slated become the University at Buffalo's first woman president on August 10.
The new presidents are Laurie A. Boeding at the Technical College of the Lowcountry and Melissa Frank-Alston at Northeastern Technical College. Both women are expected to begin their presidencies on July 1.
Dr. McEwen comes to her new appointment following four years as president and vice chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. Earlier, she served in several leadership roles at the University of Toronto Mississauga. She received some of her education in the United States.
The new provosts are Barbara Rodriguez at the University of New Mexico, Bridget Chalk at Manhattan University in New York, and Jaci Lederman at Vincennes University in Indiana. All three women had been serving as their university's interim provost.
Dr. Howard joins Spelman from Ohio State University, where she has been serving as dean of the College of Engineering. She is a nationally recognized expert in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human-centered technology.