Eight Women Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions in Higher Education

Aimee Arias has been named dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, effective July 1. She has been serving as associate dean of research and creative activity in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. Arias received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from George Washington University. She earned a master’s degree in inter-American affairs and a doctorate in international studies from the University of Miami.

Mary Lois White was appointed dean of the College of Business at Louisiana State University-Shreveport. She has been serving as interim dean since 2021. Dr. White has been a faculty member at the university since 2008 and in 2019, she was named the Armand and Lynn Roos Professor of Business and Health Administration.

Dr. White holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in economics from Florida State University.

Ruth Wittmann-Price has been appointed dean of the W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions at Thomas Edison State University in New Jersey. Most recently, Dr. Wittmann-Price served as a professor of nursing and an undergraduate programs chair at Jefferson College of Nursing in Philadelphia. Earlier, she served as the founding dean of the School of Health Sciences at Francis Marion University in South Carolina.

Dr. Wittman-Price earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Felician University in Lodi, New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree with a specialty in perinatal clinical nursing from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in nursing science from Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Frances Vavrus has been named vice provost and dean of the International Division at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She joined the faculty University of Minnesota in 2008 and is a professor in the department of organizational leadership, policy, and development in the College of Education and Human Development at the university. Previously, she was a faculty member for eight years at Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.

Dr. Varvus is a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mary Crossley was named interim dean of the School of Law at the University of Pittsburgh, effective July 1. She joined the faculty in 2005 and previously served as dean of the law school. Professor Crossley is the author of Embodied Injustice: Race, Disability, and Health (Cambridge University Press, 2022).

Professor Crossley is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she majored in history. She earned a juris doctorate at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Maria P. Gindhart will assume the position of dean of the College of Arts and Media at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. She has been serving as associate dean of the College of Arts at Georgia State University.

Dr. Gindhart is a graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in the history of art at the University of Pennsylvania.

Melina Hale has been appointed the next dean of the College at the University of Chicago, effective July 1. A faculty member since 2002, Dr. Hale currently serves as the William Rainey Harper Professor in the department of organismal biology and anatomy and as a vice provost of the university.

Professor Hale is a graduate of Duke University in North Carolina, where she majored in zoology. She earned a Ph.D. in organismal biology and anatomy from the University of Chicago.

Nicole Dafoe will be the next dean of the College of Engineering and Science at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Dafoe, who has worked at the university since 2012, has served as an interim dean since January 2022.

A native of Port Huron, Michigan, Dr. Dafoe is a plant molecular biologist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology in from Grand Valley State University in Michigan and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Victoria in Canada.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

Latest News

Jennifer Glowienka Named the First Woman President of Carroll College in Montana

“I have dedicated my professional career to this remarkable institution, which prepares ethical leaders who engage the world with purpose and hope,” said Dr. Glowienka. “I look forward to strengthening and expanding the ways Carroll fulfills its mission, serving learners across all stages of their educational journey.”

Susan Stuebner Elevated to President of Simpson College in Iowa

Dr. Stuebner has led Simpson College on an interim basis since July 28. She has nearly 30 years of professional experience, including service as president of Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire.

Shari Veil Appointed Provost at North Dakota State University

“It is a privilege to work with people who care so deeply about students, discovery, and the future of North Dakota,” said Dr. Veil. “With its strong academic profile and land-grant mission, NDSU is well positioned for meaningful impact, and I look forward to partnering with my fellow Bison to advance that work.”

Mary Ann Villarreal to Lead California State University, Dominguez Hills

“As one of the most diverse campuses in the CSU system, Dominguez Hills is a vital anchor institution for the community it serves,” said Dr. Villarreal. “A beacon of inclusivity, it inspires hope – both for the community and for higher education in California.”

Penny Elkins Named the First Woman President of Mercer University

A member of the Mercer University community for over 25 years, Dr. Elkins is slated to become the institution's first woman president on January 1. She has been serving as Mercer's interim provost.

Assistant Professor Tenure Track Position — Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cardiovascular Institute

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania seek candidates for an Assistant Professor position in the tenure track.

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Quantitative Methods

The Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago invites applications for an Assistant Professor in Quantitative Methods. This position will begin on or after July 1, 2026.

Tenure Track Position in Macro-Organizational Behavior and Organizational Theory

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business seeks to fill a full-time, tenure-track assistant or associate professor position in the Organizations and Entrepreneurship Area, starting as early as Fall 2026. 

Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice and John Carter Brown Library Joint Postdoctoral Research Associate

The Ruth J. Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University and the John Carter Brown Library invite applications for a postdoctoral research associate position focused on any area/theme of historical scholarship around racial slavery, and/ or Indigenous dispossession and slavery.

Teaching Faculty Position in Information Systems and Technology Management (ISTM)

The University of Pittsburgh School of Business invites applications for a full-time, appointment-stream faculty position at the Clinical Assistant Professor level in our Information Systems and Technology Management area starting Fall 2026.