New Administrative Duties for 10 Women in Higher Education

Genevieve Siwabessy was named associate superintendent/vice president of student services at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. She has served in many roles in California higher education including dean of student success and support programs for Cuesta College, dean of student services at Woodland Community College, and filled multiple roles in the Los Rios Community College District.

Dr. Siwabessy holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Davis. She earned a master’s degree in higher education leadership from Sacramento State University, and a doctorate in education from the University of California, Davis and Sonoma State University.

Rebekah Paré has been appointed associate vice chancellor for career development and education at Washington University in St. Louis, effective August 15. She has been serving as the associate dean and executive director for the College of Letters & Science Career Initiative and SuccessWorks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Paré is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she majored in music and German. She holds a master’s degree in German literature and musicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Quincy Rose-Sewell is the new vice president of academic support at Pueblo Community College in Colorado. She was the assistant vice president for academic affairs at Baltimore City Community College. Prior to that, she was the dean of the College of Education at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Dr. Rose-Sewell earned a bachelor’s degree in primary education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, both from Delaware State University. She holds an educational doctorate from Wilmington University in Delaware.

Mathavi Jothimurugesan Strasburger has been named the director of the Academic Advising Center at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She is the former assistant director of the Advising Programs Office at Harvard University,

Dr. Strasburger graduated from Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. She earned a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University and a doctorate in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Jennifer Kirksey has been named senior director of enterprise marketing at Ohio University. She has been serving for the past 10 years as chief of staff for three university presidents.

Kirksey earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in organizational communication at Ohio University.

Ashli Johnson is the inaugural executive director of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at the Howard University School of Business in Washington, D.C. She has served in leadership roles for hospitality programs at Virginia State University, Georgetown University, and the University of Central Florida. She also served as the assistant dean of the University of Houston’s Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management.

Johnson is a graduate of the University of West Florida. She earned a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management from Florida International University.

Jennifer Cummings-Tutmaher was promoted to the position of vice president of strategic initiatives and outreach at Northern Pennsylvania Regional College in Warren. She has been serving as director of student services.

A native of Youngsville, Pennsylvania, Cummings-Tutmaher holds a bachelor’s degree in English writing from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. She earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from Fort Hays State University in Kansas.

Deborah Mauristhene is the new associate director of Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development’s Urban Outreach Initiatives. She was assistant director of operations at Simmons University’s College of Social Sciences, Policy and Practice.

A native of Haiti, Dr. Mauristhene holds a bachelor’s degree, two master’s degrees, and an educational doctorate from Northeastern University in Boston.

Irina Savinetskaya has joined Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center as curator for pre-twentieth-century collections. She was a cataloguer and researcher for Martayan Lan Rare Books, a leading rare books and manuscript dealer covering early printed books in all subjects from the 15th century to 1800.

Dr. Savinetskaya holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in medieval studies from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary.

Katie Rose was named assistant vice president for information technology strategic excellence and engagement at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Formerly the senior director of IT strategy, planning, and architecture, Rose has served in a number of leadership roles over her 24-year career at the university that began with her answering calls at an IT help desk.

Rose holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.