All Entries in the "News" Category
Monica Lounsbery Named Provost at Wichita State University in Kansas
Monica Lounsbery’s career in higher education spans over two decades. She has held academic and administrative roles with California State University, Long Beach and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Jennifer Schlueter to Lead Ohio State University’s Marion Campus
Jennifer Schlueter previously spent nine years as a professor of theatre at Ohio State University’s main campus. She currently served as vice provost for academic affairs at The New School in New York City.
Lisa Krissoff Boehm Appointed Provost of Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan
A scholar of American urban history, Dr. Boehm has previously held academic leadership roles at Bridgewater State University, Manhattanville College, and Worcester State University. She will begin her new position with Saginaw Valley State University in January.
University of Southern California President Carol Folt Announces She Will Step Down Next Summer
Prior to taking on her current role in 2019, Dr. Folt served as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from July 2013 to January 2019. Her career in higher education began as a professor at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she served as a faculty member in biological sciences.
Four Women Receive the Barry Prize for Distinguished Intellectual Achievement
This prestigious annual prize honors those whose work has made outstanding contributions to humanity’s knowledge, appreciation, and cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful. It is presented by the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. Four of the 10 winners this year are women.
Kate Shaw Appointed Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education
“It is a tremendous honor to support this first-of-its-kind Board here in Pennsylvania, and I look forward to working alongside the experienced leaders on the Board to strengthen postsecondary education and expand its capacity to serve the needs of the Commonwealth and its residents,” said Dr. Shaw.
Wendy Waugh to Lead Peru State College in Nebraska
With over three decades of higher education experience, Wendy Waugh has been serving as vice president of academic affairs at Peru State College. She will become the college’s interim president on December 2.
Two Women College Presidents Receive Contract Extensions
Valerie Smith, president of Swarthmore College, and Kathleen Harring, president of Muhlenberg College, have both received contract extensions through June 2027 and June 2028, respectively.
Leslie Rodriguez-McClellon Named Seventeenth President of Arkansas Baptist College
Prior to her new role, Dr. Rodriguez-McClellon was the vice president of community relations and governmental affairs at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh. She has a robust background in higher education, including service as the first African American president of Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota.
Graduate Business Schools Have Experienced an Increase in Women Applicants
The share of women who have applied to graduate business programs has experienced a small increase. Over the past 10 years, women have consistently represented about 40 percent of all graduate business program applicants. In 2024, this increased to 42 percent. Roughly 55 percent of business graduate programs reported growth in women applicants.
Report Reveals New Data on Sexual Assault and Misconduct in Higher Education
According to a new report from Westat, nearly 19 percent of women and 21 percent of genderqueer students experienced some form of nonconsensual sexual misconduct in 2024. This is a decrease from 2019.
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy Named President of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
“I’m honored to take on this new role at AACTE, an organization with such a rich tradition of leadership, advocacy, and innovation,” Dr. Holcomb-McCoy said. She will assume her new role in January after eight years as dean of School of Education at American University in Washington. D.C.
Wendy Hensel Named President of the University of Hawai’i System
“There is one thing that stands out as I have gone through this process and spoken to literally hundreds of people, and that is how important the University of Hawaiʻi is to the state and the people of Hawaiʻi, especially the faculty, staff and administrators who are so committed to its mission,” said President Hensel.
Student-Run Yale Women’s Center Directed to “Maintain Broad Neutrality” in Operations
For over 50 years, the student-run Yale Women’s Center has provided students with feminist programming and resources. According to Yale Women’s Center board members, “Neutrality would contradict our purpose and compromise our daily functions.”
Eva Nodine Selected to Oversee Operations for Purdue Global
Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university, has selected Eva Nodine to serve as COO and CFO. A member of the Purdue staff for over a decade, she currently serves as vice president and deputy chief financial officer for Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Barbara Jung Named First Woman Dean of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Effective January 2025, Barbara Jung will become the first woman dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. She currently serves as the first woman chair of the department of internal medicine at the University of Washington.
Jenna Burton Elected President of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Board of Regents
Currently, Jenna Burton serves as an associate professor of veterinary oncology at Colorado State University and an oncologist with the Flint Animal Cancer Center.
Michelle Putnam Selected as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Innovation in Aging
Michelle Putnam’s new appointment is not the first time she has served as a journal’s chief editor. From 2014 to 2020, she was editor-in-chief of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work.
Two Women Who Lead High-Ranking Liberal Arts Colleges Have Received Contract Extensions
Amy Marcus-Newhall, president of Scripps College in California, has received a contract extension through June 2028. Anne Harris, president of Grinnell College in Iowa, has received an extension through June 2030.
Jill McCluskey Selected to Lead the International Association of Agricultural Economists
Dr. McCluskey currently serves as the first woman director of the School of Economics at Washington State University. She will serve as the second-ever woman president of the International Association of Agricultural Economists when she assumes her new role in 2027.
Stephanie Solywoda Named Director of Syracuse University London
A scholar of Russian and Eastern European studies, Dr. Solywoda has spent the past two decades studying and working at the University of Oxford in England.
Seven Women’s Colleges Included in U.S. News and World Report’s Top 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America
According to U.S. News and World Report, Wellesley College is the best women’s college and tied for the seventh-best liberal arts college in the country. Six other colleges for women were included in the top 50.
Kavita Bala Promoted to Provost at Cornell University
Dr. Bala currently has been serving as dean of the Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science at Cornell University. She has been with the Ivy League school since 1999, when she joined the university as a postdoctoral research.
JacQuene Rainey Appointed President of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Jackson
Dr. Rainey has held both academic and administrative roles within the Tennessee College of Applied Technology system for the past 15 years. Her presidency of the system’s Jackson campus began on October 1.
Kristi Kirk Named First Woman President of Concordia University Texas
“At Concordia University Texas, we believe anyone deserves the opportunity to attain a higher education, and it has been my mission to fulfill this vision while reinforcing a culture that welcomes and values every student,” said Dr. Kirk.
Lindsey Claire Smith Appointed as the Inaugural Director of NYU Tulsa
NYU Tulsa is an initiative that brings New York University students to Tulsa, Oklahoma to engage in academic courses, community activities, and local internships. The program is the university’s sixteenth global location and fourth in the United States.
Penn State to Pay Over $700,000 to Resolve Gender Pay Discrimination
A recent review from the United States Department of Labor found that Penn State had paid 65 women employees less than male employees in similar positions since at least July 1, 2020. The affected women include both staff and faculty from across the university.
Andrea Hayes Dixon Named Chair of Federal Scientific Management Review Board
The Scientific Management Review Board supervises and reviews the operation of all scientific research programs within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Hayes Dixon will serve as board chair through June 2026.
Ursuline College Announces Intent to Merge with Gannon University
“This is an important moment for both of our institutions,” said Walter Iwanenko Jr., president of Gannon University. “Today, we are joining our stories. One will not erase the other. Instead, together, we will begin crafting the next version of ourselves.”
Three Women Named Laureates of the Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists
This year’s Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists laureates are Cigal Kadoch of Harvard Medical School, Markita del Carpio Landry of the University of California, Berkeley, and Britney Schmidt of Cornell University.
Dianna Vargo Appointed President of Wheeling University in West Virginia
“This is a very exciting and important opportunity, not just for me, but for our entire faculty and staff. All of us here are firmly committed to advancing this great University and providing the best learning environment for our students,” said Dr. Vargo, newly appointed president of Wheeling University in West Virginia.
Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Starr Minthorn Named President-Elect of the Association for the Study of Higher Education
A member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Dr. Minthorn is the first Indigenous person to serve as president in the history of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
Rolanda Horn Named Chair-Elect of NASPA’s Center for Women
The Center for Women within the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators was established in 2001 to bring attention to issues concerning women in higher education. Dr. Horn has served as a board member for the center for the past two years.
Jeannine Diddle Uzzi Named Sixth President of Thomas College in Maine
“By leveraging my experiences, I see opportunities to make Thomas a more inclusive community that serves students from all backgrounds — whether they are from Maine or beyond — who are seeking a place where they truly belong,” said Dr. Uzzi.
Caltech’s Freshman Class Is the First in School History to Have More Women Students Than Men
Originally founded in 1891, the California Institute of Technology did not admit women students until the 1970s. Five decades later, the freshman class of 2028 is the first in school history where more than half of its students are women.
