Universities Announce the Appointments of Seven Women to Dean Positions

Jenna Shim, the associate dean for academic affairs and graduate studies at the University of Wyoming’s College of Education, has been appointed as the interim John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean of the college. Dr. Shim, a professor in the School of Teacher Education, has served as associate dean for the past three years. She joined the faculty at the university in 2009.

Professor Shim holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from California State University and a master’s degree in piano performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She holds a master’s degree in literacy education and a Ph.D. in language and literacy education from the University at Albany of the State University of New York.

Pamela McCauley will be the next dean of the School of Engineering at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, effective July 1. Since 2020, she has been serving as an associate dean for academic programs, diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. Dr. McCauley’s research has focused on human engineering in information systems, including the human impact on information security and how humans interact with technology regarding disaster management.

Dr. McCauley holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in industrial engineering, all from the University of Oklahoma.

Susan Kelly-Weeder will be the next dean of the School of Nursing at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She has been serving as associate dean of graduate programs at the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College. Dr. Kelly-Weeder will begin her new role on July 17.

Dr. Kelly-Weeder earned a bachelor’s dean in nursing from what is now Simmons University in Boston. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Massachusetts.

Pamela Slaven-Lee has been selected as the next dean of the College of Health and Education at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. Previously, Dr. Slaven-Lee served as the interim dean of the George Washington University School of Nursing from July 2021 to January 2023 and also was the senior associate dean for academic affairs at the school since 2019.

Dr. Slaven-Lee holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing from the University of Maine. She earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from Case Western University in Cleveland.

Cheryl Blackman was named dean of the College of Professional Studies at Bowie State University in Maryland, effective July 1. She has been serving as the interim dean of the college, a position she has held for the last two and a half years. She has also served as a faculty member, chair of the department of psychology for 20 years, and associate dean of the College of Professional Studies during its early years. Her current research focuses on the role of peer tutoring and mentoring on student success.

A native of Barbados, Dr. Blackman is a graduate of New York University. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Amy Shapiro will be the inaugural dean of the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She has been director of the Honors College since 2021. Dr. Shapiro joined the faculty in 1994 and currently holds the rank of professor of psychology. Her research has focused primarily on understanding the cognition underlying learning in complex domains with educational technology, as well as the cognition underlying false memories.

Dr. Shaprio earned bachelor’s degrees in French and psychology from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree in psychology and a doctorate in cognitive science from Brown University. in Providence, Rhode Island.

Marie Bukowski will serve as the next dean of the College of Fine Arts at Wichita State University in Kansas, effective July 9. She was the associate dean of graduate programs and faculty affairs in College of the Arts at Kent State University in Ohio. Prior to joining Kent State University, Bukowski served as the director of the School of Art and Design and professor of art at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Bukowski is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she double majored in painting and nineteenth-century German literature. She holds a master of fine arts degree in painting and printmaking from the University of Pennsylvania.