Nine Women Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education

Alison McFarlane was promoted to vice president of institutional advancement at Salt Lake Community College in Utah. She was the assistant vice president of institutional marketing and communications. She joined the administration at the college in 2007.

McFarlane is a graduate of the University of Utah. She has served as vice president for communications at the American Association for Women in Community Colleges.

Tracy Payne-Rockco was named director of alumni affairs at the University of Montevallo near Birmingham, Alabama. She has been a member of the university staff since 1999, most recently as director of the McNair Scholars program. She previously directed the university’s Upward Bound program.

Dr. Payne-Rockco holds bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Montevallo. She earned an educational doctorate at the University of Alabama.

Solveig Ovstebo was appointed executive director of the The Renaissance Society, a contemporary art museum at the University of Chicago. She will replace Susanne Ghez who has served as executive director for the past 40 years.

Ovstebo will begin her new role in June 2013. She is currently the director of Bergen Kunsthall, a contemporary art museum in her native Norway. She has held this post since 2003.

Karin Wulf was named director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, a joint initiative of the College of William and Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The institute, founded in 1943, publishes books and The William and Mary Quarterly, first published in 1892. It also holds several conferences each year.

Dr. Wulf is an associate professor of history and American studies at the College of William and Mary and book review editor of The William and Mary Quarterly. Professor Wulf has been on the faculty of the college since 2004. She is a graduate of American University and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in history from Johns Hopkins University.

Susan G. Assouline was appointed director of the Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa. A professor of psychological and quantitative foundations, she has served as the center’s associate director since 1990.

Dr. Assouline is co-author of Developing Math Talent: A Guide for Educating Gifted and Advanced Learners in Math and A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Iowa.

Nichelle D. Perkins was named deputy diversity officer for equity assurance at West Virginia University. She was a human resources manager for Concord Crossroads, a business serving disabled veterans in Palantine, Illinois. She also taught in the MBA program of the University of Phoenix.

Perkins is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Iowa College of Law.

Tammi Dahle was promoted to dean of students at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. She has been on the university’s staff for 13 years serving most recently as director of the Career Development Center and Counseling Services.

Dr. Dahle holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Montevallo and a doctorate in education from the University of Alabama.

Karen Baldwin was promoted to vice president for advancement at the University of Alabama. She has been serving in the post on an interim basis since March. Previously, she was associate vice president for advancement. She has been on the staff at the university since 1998.

Dr. Baldwin holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, all from the University of Alabama.

Chris Martin was named president of the newly established Poynter Foundation in St. Petersburg, Florida. The foundation is the fundraising division of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, a center for journalism training and a media studies think tank.

Martin has been serving as vice president for university relations at the West Virginia University. She is the former dean of the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at WVU. Martin holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.

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

Maura Mast to Be the First Woman President of Seattle University

Dr. Mast, the first woman to serve as dean of Fordham University's Fordham College at Rose Hill, is slated to become the first woman president of Seattle University in Washington on September 1.

Tracee Watts Appointed President of Galveston College

Dr. Watts has more than 20 years of experience in higher education. Before her new presidency, she was senior vice president of student success and advancement at Brazosport College in Texas.

Lisa Dougherty Is Interim President of Hudson County Community College

Dr. Dougherty came to Hudson County Community College in 2016 as dean of enrollment and was promoted to senior vice president for student affairs and enrollment three years later. In June, she was tapped to serve as the college's interim president.

Shannon W. Dycus Named President of Eastern Mennonite University

An administrator at the university for the past several years, Dr. Dycus has led Eastern Mennonite University on an interim basis since July 2025.

Dawn Meza Soufleris Named the Eighth President of SUNY Brockport

Dr. Soufleris, a three-time alumna of the State University of New York System, has more than 35 years of higher education experience spanning student affairs, enrollment management, retention, and student success initiatives.

President

The next President will be a dynamic, visionary leader with the ability to build trust and strong partnerships across diverse stakeholders.

President

The next president will lead one of the most successful and well-respected community colleges in the country.