The new deans are Aneika L. Simmons at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Kim Petersen at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Julia Bear at Stony Brook University in New York, and Christian Spears Brown at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation (Diné), Dr. Jackson-Dennison has nearly four decades of experience in educational leadership, including more than two decades as a superintendent in Arizona public schools.
Dr. Rutkow, professor of health policy, has been tapped to serve as interim provost at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Currently serving as executive vice provost, Dr. Rutkow is an expert on public health law and founder of the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
“Having served with distinction as interim provost, Dr. Singh has already demonstrated her ability to lead with clarity, integrity, and purpose,” said Lincoln University President John Moseley. “I am confident that her permanent appointment will provide continuity and momentum as we advance Lincoln University’s academic mission.”
One of the nation's leading scholars in the field of legal evidence, Dr. Mnookin has served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2022. She is slated to become the next president of Columbia University in July.
The new deans are Tanya M. Sudia at Baylor University in Texas, Carmen R. Carter at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, Wendy DuBose at Wallace Community College-Dothan in Alabama, Sara Robicheaux at the University of Montevallo in Alabama, and Nannette C. Turner at Mercer University in Georgia.
“It is an honor to serve LMU in this role. I am deeply committed to the university and to working alongside faculty, staff, and students in sustaining a collaborative academic community rooted in mission, excellence, and care for the whole person,” said Dr. Weaver.
“This is a pivotal moment for us all in the legal academy to come together in coalition around academic freedom,” said Professor Conway, dean of Penn State Dickinson Law and the School of International Affairs. “We may disagree on many other things, but we must collectively uphold academic freedom."
Cristina Rodríguez was named the Sol and Lillian Goldman Dean and Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Katy Lundell-Stuhr is the new dean of technical programs at Ridgewater College in Minnesota, and Heather Pendleton-Helm is dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado.
Avivia Abramovsky has been serving as a professor and dean of the University of Idaho College of Law. Before joining the University of Idaho faculty, she was dean of the University at Buffalo School of Law in New York.
Dr. Wendland previously spent five years as provost at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. She will serve in the same capacity at West Virginia University beginning July 1.
“I am honored and humbled with this appointment and I am excited to work alongside Mercer’s remarkable faculty, staff, and students in this new role,” said Dr. Lundquist. “Together, we will continue to advance academic excellence, foster innovation, and enhance collaboration."
