Six Women Appointed to Administrative Posts at Universities

Pa Lee Moua was appointed the first, full-time executive director of the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. She is the former associate dean of students for diversity affairs at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Dr. Moua is a graduate of Lakeland University in Herman, Wisconsin, where she majored in business administration. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Ph.D. in leadership studies and Marian University of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin.

Wendy Pearson was appointed vice president for strategic initiatives at Stony Brook University in New York, effective November 1. Most recently, she served as the senior advisor to the provost at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Pearson is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she majored in journalism. She holds a master’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa.

Sophia Chaknis is the new associate dean of students for housing and residential experience at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She was the deputy dean of students and before that, the executive director of housing and residence life and director of college housing at the University of Chicago.

Chaknis is a graduate of the University of Florida. She holds a master’s degree from Florida State University and a master’s degree in higher education administration from Salem State University in Massachusetts.

Kellina Yarrish was named associate director of student services and engagement at the Hazleton campus of Pennsylvania State University. She previously served as director of student activities and multicultural affairs at Keystone College in La Plume, Pennsylvania. Earlier, she was assistant director of student activities and campus recreation and assistant director of athletics for recreation and wellness at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Yarrish is a graduate of Keystone College, where she majored in elementary education. She holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and a master’s degree in education from Cedar Crest College. She is due to complete her doctorate in educational leadership in higher education in December from Gwynedd Mercy University in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania.

Constance Meadors was appointed the first associate director of the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. She is a former associate professor of engineering and associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Dr. Meadors is a graduate of Grambling State University in Louisiana, where she majored in physics. She holds a master’s degree in applied science and instrumentation and a Ph.D. in applied science engineering and systems from the University of Arkansas Little Rock.

Hope O’Reilly, whose career in fundraising and philanthropy spans some 30 years, has been appointed senior vice president for university development and alumni relations at New York University. Prior to joining NYU, O’Reilly worked at the Brooklyn Museum since 2016. She was a member of the director’s cabinet and she and her team doubled museum membership and raised hundreds of millions of dollars.

O’Reilly received bachelor’s snd master’s degrees in art history from the University of South Florida. She is completing work on a Ph.D. in art history from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.