Four Women Promoted and Granted Tenure at the College of the Holy Cross

The College of the Holy Cross, the highly rated liberal arts institution in Worcester, Massachusetts, has promoted five faculty members to the rank of associate professor and granted them tenure. Four of the five promotions went to women.

Sarah A. Petty was promoted to associate professor of chemistry. She has been on the faculty at the College of the Holy Cross since 2006. Dr. Petty holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Liverpool. She conducted postdoctoral research at Mount Holyoke College.

Melissa Boyle was named associate professor of economics. She joined the Holy Cross faculty in 2005. Dr. Boyle’s research focuses on the economics of aging. She is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Debra J. O’Connor was appointed associate professor of economics. She has been on the college’s faculty since 2005 and serves as the study abroad coordinator for accounting students. Dr. O’Connor holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts. A certified public accountant, she earned a master’s degree in taxation at Bentley University.

Mary Doyle Roche was promoted to associate professor of religious studies. A 1990 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, Dr. Roche earned a master’s degree in theological studies from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge and a Ph.D. from Boston College. She joined the Holy Cross faculty in 2005. Roche is the author of the 2009 book, Children, Consumerism and the Common Good (Lexington Books).

Melissa Boyle, Debra O'Connor and Mary Doyle Roche