Colleges and Universities Have Announced the Appointments of Nine Women Administrators

Julia Allen is the new assistant dean of advancement for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design at Virginia Tech. She has been serving since 2019 as assistant dean of advancement of the College of Natural Resources and Environment at the university. Before arriving at Virginia Tech, Allen served as the chief development officer and executive director of the foundation at Gaston College in North Carolina.

Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, and a master’s degree in higher education, community college, and university leadership from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

Jess Evans, a veteran technology executive with extensive experience in institutional and operational strategy, has been named chief information officer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She was chief operating officer for information technology and deputy chief information officer at Arizona State University since July 2018. Earlier, she was executive director for informational technology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland from 2009 to 2018.

Dr. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Kent State University in Ohio. She earned a Ph.D. in management at Case Western Reserve University.

Ka’Lisa Stanfield will serve as interim athletic director at Alabama A&M University. She was the assistant athletic director at the University of  Arkansas-Monticello.

Stanfield earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education with a focus on exercise science from the University of Arkansas-Monticello. She holds a master’s degree in sports management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Jennifer Sherer has been promoted to the post of executive officer for entrepreneurship at Georgia State University. She will continue to serve as the director of the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Institute. Dr. Sherer has held this position since joining Georgia State in 2018. Earlier, she was vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship at the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Dr. Sherer is a graduate of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Jackie Taylor was appointed chief strategy officer and chief of staff at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis. She served as associate vice president for retention and student success at the college from 2016 to 2021.

Dr. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in education, and a doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis in higher education administration from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.

Robyn Fergus was naned senior associate vice chancellor and chief people officer at the University of Colorado Boulder, effective October 31. She was vice president and chief human resources officer at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Earlier, she served as human resources director for Jefferson County Public Schools.

Fergus holds a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies from Michigan State University.

Verna Orr has been promoted to chief of staff at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. She was special assistant for planning and institutional effectiveness at the college.

Dr. Orr earned a bachelor’s degree in music education, a master’s degree in education, and a doctorate in educational policy and administration, all from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Illinois.

Annalisa Mazza is the new assistant director for employee wellness at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She had been serving as a coordinator of group fitness at the university.

Mazza is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she majored in biology. She holds a master’s degree in sports management and recreation from Springfield College in Massachusetts.

Kamesia M. House is the new associate vice president of strategic enrollment management and executive director of financial aid and scholarships at Delaware State University. She was the executive director of scholarships and financial aid at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

House holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master of public administration degree from North Carolina Central University. She is currently working toward a doctorate in educational leadership at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.