Darshana T. Shah, professor of pathology at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, is the recipient of the 2025 Carole J. Bland Phronesis Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Faculty Affairs. The national award recognizes members of the faculty affairs community who embody the spirit of “phronesis,” acting for the welfare of others without thought for the self and seeking and enabling heroically the development and success of others.
At Marshall University, Dr. Shah serves as senior associate dean for faculty advancement in the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. In this role, she founded the college’s Office of Faculty Advancement and launched the Marshall Journal of Medicine. A faculty member since 1997, she has conducted extensive research on faculty vitality and retention. She also has a special interest in microbiology and immunology.
Dr. Shah received her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Bombay University in India and her master’s degree in microbiology from Maharaja Sayajirao University in India. She earned a second master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Maryland-Baltimore and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from West Virginia University.
Deborah F. Rutter has been appointed vice provost for the arts at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Her background includes nearly five decades of experience as a nonprofit executive. Since 2014, she has served as the first woman president of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Jamie Allen has been appointed senior vice president and chief legal officer for Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. She will also serve as corporate secretary and provide legal oversight for Morehouse Healthcare. Prior to her new role, she was vice president of legal services for BJC Health System, the largest nonprofit health system in Missouri.
Candice Lewis has been appointed vice president of learning and workforce development at Greenville Technical College in South Carolina. For the past decade, she has served as dean of the college’s School of Health Sciences. Earlier in her career, she was a laboratory technician in plant molecular genetics research at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
Faith Renee’ Spells has been named associate vice president for enrollment services at Talladega College in Alabama. With over 20 years of higher education experience, she most recently served as director of institutional effectiveness at Denmark Technical College in South Carolina. She has also served in administrative roles at Claflin University in South Carolina and Education Affiliates in Baltimore, Maryland.
Elana Casey has been appointed associate director of the Augusta Savage Gallery in the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Most recently, she was chair of the visual arts department at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. As an artist, she centers her work on Black diasporic histories, cultural memory, and mythologies.
Magen Bednar has been appointed director of access services for the College of University Libraries & Learning Services at the University of New Mexico. She has worked for the University of Oklahoma Libraries since 2015, most recently serving as head of Bizzell User Services. Earlier in her tenure, she was the student success and engagement librarian.
Myesha Carter has been named associate chief academic officer for student experience at the University of the District of Columbia. Her background includes over 15 years of experience in higher education and healthcare. In her new role, she will lead the design and execution of a holistic academic success framework and collaborate with faculty, deans, administrators, and community partners to align academic programs with student support structures.
Carly Sunseri has been promoted to assistant vice provost for institutional research in the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research at Pennsylvania State University. She has more than a decade of experience in data science, analytics, and institutional research. Prior to her new role, she was the office’s senior director of data science and analytics.
Jacqueline Powell has been named vice president of academic affairs at Shorter College in North Little Rock, Arkansas. She has previously served as president of both Danville Community College in Virginia and Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri. More recently, she was special assistant to the chancellor of Virginia Community Colleges.
Kathryn Kaoudis has been appointed vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer at San José State University in California. She comes to her new role from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, where she has been serving as vice chancellor and chief financial officer. Earlier, she served in the same capacity at the Community College of Denver.
Kisha Cunningham Aites has been named to the Dr. Thelma Thomas Daley Distinguished Professor Endowed Chair at Savannah State University in Georgia. In this role, Dr. Aites, a full professor of engineering technology education and associate dean of the College of Education at Savannah State, will spearhead academic initiatives, mentor students, and lead efforts to integrate AI technology in education.
Xi Song has been named the inaugural Schiffman Family Presidential Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. A faculty member since 2019, she currently serves as associate director of the Penn Population Studies Center. Her research interests include social mobility, occupations, Asian Americans, population studies, and quantitative methodology. Currently, she is studying shifting career patterns in the United States.
Following one year of service as interim president, Gaylah Sublette has been officially named president of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in Kirksville, Missouri.
Christi Luks, a teaching professor in chemical engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology has recently assumed the presidency of the American Society for Engineering Education.
Carmen Simone has been selected to serve as interim president of Lake Region State College in North Dakota. The college enrolls about 1,800 students, 61 percent of whom are women.
Terri Grates Day has been appointed the fifth president of Herkimer County Community College in New York. The community college enrolls over 1,800 students. Women represent 55 percent of the student population.
Kimberlee S. Messina is the new chancellor of the City College of San Francisco in California. The school enrolls nearly 18,000 students, 54 percent of whom are women.
Each week, Women in Academia Report will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. The links presented direct the reader to articles from many different points of view that deal with issues of women in higher education. The articles selected do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board of WIAReport.
Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. The books included are on a wide variety of subjects and present many different points of view. The opinions expressed in these books do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board of WIAReport. As an Amazon Associate, WIAReport will earn a fraction of revenue from qualifying purchases.
Veronica Ajewole-Mwema, professor of pharmacy practice and assistant vice president for clinical translational research and community engagement at Texas Southern University, has received a $2 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to expand the university’s TSU Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Center. Established three years ago, the center has provided non-cost mammography services and implemented comprehensive health education programs to thousands of women in five counties throughout Texas. Through its newest grant, the center will expand its reach to four more counties, while continuing to advance its efforts in the original five counties.
Agnes Scott College, a liberal arts college for women in Decatur, Georgia, has received a $250,000 grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust to support the Global Journeys program, a required first-year course that introduces students to global learning and leadership development. The program includes a one-week faculty-led immersion in a domestic or international location directly connected to the course content.
Olivia Lanier, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of New Mexico, has received a grant from the American Cancer Society to examine how a nanoparticle-packed gel could help treat ovarian cancer more effectively. While similar products have successfully treated resistant forms of ovarian cancer, many have also shown to cause eye problems. Dr. Lanier’s project will explore if administering the hydrogel vaginally could mitigate ocular toxicity.
Lizbeth Martin, president of Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, has announced her plans to retire on July 1, 2026.
Barnard College, a women’s college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City, has recently 
Mary K. Gaillard, a renowned physicist and professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, passed away on May 23. She was 86 years old.
Dr. Gaillard was a member of several professional organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Physical Society. She also served as an advisor for the Department of Energy and the U.S. National Research Council. Additionally, she was a member of the National Science Board from 1996 to 2002.
Karen Saban is the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing Endowed Chair for Research at Loyola University Chicago. Since 2020, she has served as the school’s associate dean for research and scholarly innovation. Her background includes over two decades of experience as a critical care and neuroscience nurse. As a scholar, she has conducted extensive research on reducing heart disease and stroke disparities among underrepresented women.
Robin Bell is the Marie Tharp Lamont Research Professor for the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. Currently, she is overseeing research programs in Antarctica and Greenland, working to develop technology to monitor the changing planet. More specifically, her work focuses on ice sheet dynamics and mass balance, the science of diversity, continental tectonics, and estuarine processes.
Alicia Barnes is the inaugural Urban Child Institute Endowed Chair of Excellence for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. In this role, she will oversee clinical and research initiatives focused on early childhood mental illness and its associated risk factors. A faculty member since 2023, she previously served as associate director of the Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being.
Julie Nelson Davis is the Paul F. Miller, Jr. and E. Warren Shafer Miller Professor of History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania. She first joined the Penn faculty in 2002 and has served as undergraduate chair, graduate chair, and department chair. Her research centers on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Japanese art, with a focus on prints, paintings, and illustrated books.
Ginger Gummelt has been named dean of the College of Business, Health, and Human Services at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Prior to her new role, she was chair of the department of sociology, social work, criminal justice, and anthropology at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where she taught for over a decade. Earlier in her career, she taught mathematics for the Beaumont Independent School District.
Kimberly S. Smith has been appointed vice president of student success and dean of the college at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of higher education experience, her career has focused on academic engagement, retention, and student development,. Most recently, she was associate vice president for student success initiatives at Virginia Tech.
Zaryab Iqbal has been appointed dean of the Perry Honors College at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She comes to her new role from Pennsylvania State University, where she was associate dean of the honors college and a professor of political science and Jewish studies. She has published two books, most recently 
Kimberly Jones is the new dean of the College of Engineering and Architecture at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Previously, she served as the college’s associate dean for research and graduate studies and chaired the department of civil and engineering. Most recently, she served as associate provost for faculty affairs. Throughout her career, she has served as an advisor for several national committees, helping to develop policy on clean water access and environmental health.
Sophia Sotilleo has been appointed vice provost and dean of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. Since 2022, she has served as dean of the Thurgood Marshall Library at Bowie State University in Maryland. As a scholar, her work focuses on embedded librarianship, particularly its intersections with access, advocacy, and leadership in higher education.
Angela Branch-Vital has been named the inaugural dean of the School of Public and Allied Health at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. She has been serving as the school’s executive director since its inception in 2023. Previously, she was chair of the university’s department of health and kinesiology. Her research focuses on health disparities, community-based interventions, and student wellness.
Liz Wuorinen has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Health Sciences and Professional Studies at Northern Michigan University. Prior to her interim appointment, she was the college’s associate dean and director of the School of Health and Human Performance. Earlier in her career, she was chair of the department of biology and physical education, as well as the department of human performance at Norwich University in Vermont.
Lisa Hibbard has named director of the Teaching Resource and Research Center at Spelman College, a women’s liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. A full professor of chemistry, she has taught at Spelman for the past four decades. Over her tenure, she has served in several roles, including chair of chemistry and biochemistry, director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program, and director of the health careers program.
Cynthia Crawford has been appointed associate dean for research and innovation for the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences at North Carolina A&T State University. With nearly three decades of academic experience, she most recently served as a faculty fellow and interim associate provost for research at California State University, San Bernardino.
Jamie Runnells has been named head of the department of art at Mississippi State University. Her appointment marks a return to the university, where she previously taught from 2002 to 2013. More recently, she was a distinguished professor of visual communication and coordinator of the master of fine arts degree program at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.
Eleanor Holdridge has been appointed chair of the department of drama at Syracuse University in New York. She comes to her new role from the Catholic University of America, where she was a professor and chair of the department of drama. In addition to her career in academia, she has directed plays for over 30 years.
Kate Hanch has been appointed director of the Baptist House of Studies in the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She has taught at several institutions throughout her career, including the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky, Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Overland Park, Kansas, and Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She is the author of 
Sara Bernstein has joined the faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz as a professor and chair of the department of philosophy. Most recently, she was the R. L. Canala College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Earlier in her career, she was the Andrew W. Mellon Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Duke University in North Carolina. Her research specializes in metaphysics and feminist philosophy.
Anita Hardeman has been promoted from interim director to permanent director of the School of Music at Western Illinois University. A faculty member since 2013, she previously served as the school’s graduate coordinator. As a musicologist, she specializes in French opera of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Lynn Adler has been named a distinguished professor in the department of biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her work spans the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. In recent years, her research has examined how floral defense traits, including nectar and pollen chemistry, affect pathogen loads in bumble bees.
Janet Currie has joined the faculty at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, as a professor in the department of economics and a faculty affiliate with the Tobin Center for Economic Policy. In addition to her appointment at Yale, she serves as co-director of the program on families and children at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her current research focuses on socioeconomic differences in health, environmental threats to health, child mental health, and the long-run impact of child health.
Charu Sinha has been named academic director of the master’s degree program in business analytics at Chapman University in California. She has served in several roles at the university, including director of continuous improvement and assistant dean for undergraduate programs for the Argyros College of Business and Economics. Her research interests include stochastic modeling, optimization of operations processes, and pedagogical issues.
Noell Wilson has been appointed executive director of the Croft Institute for International Studies at the University of Mississippi. A faculty member since 2007, she previously served as chair of the university’s department of history. As a historian, she specializes in maritime Japan and the North Pacific.
Heidi Julien, professor of information science in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo in New York, has received the 2025 Award of Merit. The honor is the association’s lifetime achievement award, presented to individuals whose work has advanced the field of information science.
Kyong Eun Oh, professor of library and information science at Simmons University in Boston, has received the 2025 Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award. The honor is presented to individuals who have made unique and exceptional teaching contributions in information science.
Sherri Reese has been named associate vice president of human resources at Salisbury University in Maryland. She comes to Salisbury from Michigan State University, where she was the assistant vice president of talent management and director of talent and consulting services. Earlier, she was the human resources director for Michigan State’s Office of the Provost and Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs.
Sharon “Jamila” Buckner has been appointed vice chancellor of human resources for the Peralta Community College District in Oakland, California. She brings over two decades of human resources experience to her new role, including past roles in the nonprofit, private, and public sectors. Her background in higher education includes key executive positions with her two alma maters, Golden Gate University and Saint Mary’s College of California.
Katie LaVallee has been named the attending veterinarian and director of the animal resources and care division at Virginia Tech. She has held the role on an interim basis for the past six months. Her prior experience in academia includes service as a laboratory animal veterinarian at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina.
Alisha Williams-McCorvey has been promoted to vice president for student affairs at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York. Prior to her new role, she served as assistant vice president and chief diversity officer. Earlier in her career, she spent over two decades as a social worker, principal, and administrator for K-12 schools.
Anne Kinsinger has been named director of the Accelerating Resilience Innovations in Drylands Institute at the University of New Mexico. For the past three decades, she has held various key positions with the United States Geological Survey. Most recently, she was the associate director for the ecosystems mission area.
Quinsheta Powell has been named director of alumni affairs at Talladega College in Alabama. She had been serving as an alumni relations coordinator. In her new role, she will oversee efforts to strengthen alumni engagement, develop impactful programs, and support Talladega’s strategic initiatives.
Yvonne Harris has been named vice president for research and innovation at Bowie State University in Maryland. She comes to her new role from Northern Illinois University, where she was vice president of research and innovative partnerships. She has held key leadership positions with Truman College, Harper College, Chicago State University, James Madison University, and California State University, Sacramento.
Whitney Sowers has been named athletic director for Marshalltown Community College in Iowa. Since 2017, she has served as the co-head softball coach at Millikin University in Illinois. In addition to her coaching role, she served in several other positions, including serving as an advisor for the university’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Jamie Adams has been appointed the David M. Levy Professor in Neurology. Dr. Adams serves as a faculty member in the Center for Health and Technology at the university. Professor Adams is a movement disorders specialist whose research focuses on the use and evaluation of digital health technology, such as wearable sensors, smartphone applications, and telemedicine. Dr. Adams is a graduate of Princeton University, where she majored in art and archaeology. She earned a medical degree at the University of Rochester.
Jennifer Grotz, a professor of English, has been named the Arthur Satz Professor of the Humanities. Professor Grotz is the author of four books of poetry, most recently 
Alayna Loiselle, a professor of orthopaedics in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, has been appointed as the Donald and Mary Clark Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Research. She holds joint appointments as a professor of biomedical engineering and as a professor of pathology and of laboratory medicine. Her lab focuses on research around musculoskeletal and soft tissue fibrosis and regeneration. Dr. Loiselle is a graduate of Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, where she majored in biology. She earned a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester.
Laura Smoller has been appointed the Arthur R. Miller Professor of History. Dr. Smoller’s research interests are medieval and Renaissance Europe, medieval Christianity, early science and medicine, and the history of astrology and prophecy. Professor Smoller is the author of 
Anna Weiss has been named the inaugural Pluta Professor in Breast Care. Dr. Weiss’ research interests focus on breast cancer and benign breast disease, and breast and axillary surgery. She joined the faculty at the University of Rochester in 2022 after teaching at Harvard University. A native of Syracuse, New York, Dr. Weiss eanred her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Sinda K. Vanderpool has been named the tenth president of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Her appointment makes her the institution’s first woman president in its 77-year history.
Susan Stuebner has been selected to serve as interim president of Simpson College, beginning July 28.
Linda Kingston is the new president of Lake Superior College in Duluth, Minnesota. The community college enrolls about 4,000 students, 58 percent of whom are women.
Pakou Yang has been selected to serve as interim president of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota. The school enrolls over 9,600 students, 58 percent of whom are women.
Katherine Baicker has been named the Emmett Dedmon Distinguished Service Professor in the Harris School of Public Policy. Prior to being appointed provost at the University of Chicago in 2023, Dr. Baicker served as dean of the Harris School of Public Policy for five years. Dr. Baicker has focused her research on the effectiveness of public and private health insurance, including the effect of reforms on the distribution and quality of care. Professor Baicker earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.
Diana Bolotin has been named the Allan L. Lorincz Professor in the department of medicine. Dr. Bolotin serves as the chief of dermatology and the director of Dermatologic Surgery and Dermatology Ambulatory Practice. She specializes in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, an advanced technique for the removal of certain types of skin cancer. Dr. Bolotin is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a medical doctorate and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
Christina Ciaccio has been named the first Mary Yovovich Professor of Pediatrics in the Wallman Society of Fellows in the departments of pediatrics and medicine. She currently serves as chief of the Section of Allergy/Immunology and Pediatric Pulmonology. Dr. Ciaccio’s research interests include understanding how endogenous and exogenous fatty acids influence atopic disease and innovating novel diagnostics of atopic disease. Dr. Ciaccio is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she majored in mathematics. She holds a master’s degree in clinical research from the University of Kansas and a medical doctorate from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Yueran Ma has been named the first Carhart Family Professor of Finance in the Booth School of Business. She is co-director of the Fama-Miller Center for Research in Finance. Her research interest is empirical studies at the intersection of finance and macroeconomics. Her recent work analyzes production and innovation activities over the past century, and the power and limits of organizations. Professor Ma earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and a Ph.D. in business economics from Harvard University.
Alison Siegler has been named the Lillian E. Kraemer Clinical Professor in Public Interest Law. She is the founding director of the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, the nation’s first legal clinic devoted to representing low-income clients charged with federal felonies. Professor Siegler joined the faculty at the law school in 2008. She holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities and a juris doctorate from Yale University and earned a master of law degree in advocacy at the Georgetown University Law Center.
Jennifer Moriatis Wolf has been named the first Harold and Betsy Newton Professor in the Wallman Society of Fellows in the department of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine. As an orthopaedic hand surgeon, she has extensive expertise in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of bone, nerve, tendon and ligament injuries caused by trauma or overuse. Dr. Wolf joined the faculty in 2016. She is the past president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Dr. Wolf is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She earned her medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Ph.D. from Lund University in Sweden.
Priscilla Diane Chapman Frisch, a longtime research professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago, passed away on April 2. She was 81 years old.
Christine M. Riordan has recently concluded her service as the tenth president of Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.
Padma Raghavan has been named executive director for science and technology strategy in the Office of the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to her new role, she was Vanderbilt’s vice provost for research and innovation and chief research officer. A faculty member since 2016, she currently holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Computer Science. Her academic expertise centers on high-performance computing.
Audrey Corbett has been named interim chair of the department of internal medicine in the School of Community Medicine at the University of Oklahoma. She first joined the school’s faculty in 2017 and currently serves as an associate professor, associate dean for clinical affairs, and chief medical officer for OU Health Physicians-Tulsa. Her academic interests include patient safety and quality improvement, especially related to education.
Michelle Harkins has been promoted to the rank of distinguished professor at the University of New Mexico. She serves in several capacities at the university, including professor of medicine; chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine; associate chief for the Adult Center for Critical Care; and co-medical director of the Post-COVID Primary Care TeleECHO program. An expert on asthma, she has developed several state-wide initiatives to treat both adults and children with the condition.
Brittney May has been appointed associate director of choral activities at the University of Nevada-Reno, where she teaches as a lecturer of voice in the School of Music. With 15 years of experience directing choral and instrumental ensembles, she previously served as the artistic director of the Truckee Tahoe Community Chorus in California.
Wendy Townsend has been named associate dean for academic success in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. She currently serves as a professor of ophthalmology in the department of veterinary clinical sciences. Her research interests include equine ophthalmology, golden retriever pigmentary uveitis, and ocular drug delivery.
Farah Jasmine Griffin has been named a University Professor at Columbia University. The distinction is the university’s highest faculty honor. Dr. Griffin currently holds the title of William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and of African American Studies. She previously served as the inaugural chair of the department of African American and African diaspora studies. Her scholarship examines the Black experience in the United States, spanning the fields of literature, music, history, and politics.
Karen Doherty has been promoted to senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University in New York. A faculty member in the department of communication sciences for nearly three decades, she most recently served as the college’s associate dean of faculty affairs. Her research focuses on understanding how age-related hearing loss affects communication and exploring ways to enhance hearing aid use among older adults.
Gail Fairhurst, Distinguished University Research Professor of Organizational Communication at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, has received the Steve Chaffee Career Achievement Award from the International Communications Association. The honor is presented to individuals for their outstanding theoretical development and research related to communication studies.
As a scholar, Dr. Fairhurst specializes in organizational and leadership communication processes, including those involving paradox, problem-centered leadership, and framing. More specifically, she studies dialogue and how it pertains to leaders and organizations. Her research has led to numerous articles, book chapters, and books, including 
Raquel Monroe was named dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She comes to her new role from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a full professor and associate dean of graduate education and academic affairs for the College of Fine Arts. Her research interests include Black social dance, queer Black feminism, popular culture, and the efficacy of collaboration in driving social change.
Fatma Mili has been selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University in New Jersey. Most recently, she was provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Earlier in her career, she was dean of the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Sharon Tucker has been named dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida. She joined the university’s faculty last year as a professor and chair of the department of nursing practice. She previously held several roles at Ohio State University, including executive director of the Fuld Evidence-based Practice Institute. Her scholarship centers on psychiatric mental health nursing.
Mary McGriff has been appointed interim dean of the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education at New Jersey City University. A faculty member since 2011, she has served as acting associate dean of the College of Education, chair of the literacy education department, and co-coordinator of the College of Education’s accreditation and program assessment. Before her transition to higher education, she was a middle school English teacher and an elementary school principal.
RoSusan D. Bartee has been appointed dean of the College of Education at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. With over two decades of academic and administrative experience, she most recently served as a professor and chair of the department of educational leadership and higher education at the University of Central Florida. She has published extensively on topics related to educational leadership, systems change, and institutional development.
Marie-Anne de Graaff has been selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Boise State University in Idaho. A faculty member for the past 15 years, she previously served as the college’s associate dean for graduate education, research, and creative activity. She is a professor of biology who studies how climate and land-use affect ecosystem processes that drive the global carbon cycle and how plant roots and soil microorganisms interact to affect soil carbon and nutrient dynamics.
Heather Phipps has been named site dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest at Western University of Health Sciences in California. She comes to her new role from Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Washington, where she was assistant dean of clinical education, strategic partnerships, and faculty development; chief of the division of surgery; and an associate professor of orthopedic surgery.
Melissa Delikat has been named dean of students at Riverland Community College in Minnesota. Her background includes over a decade of leadership experience in student affairs, academic advising, career development, and teaching. Previously, she was director of the Center for Career & Calling at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.
Karlene Ball, university professor of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has received the Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging from the American Psychological Association.
Kayla Storrs has been named head of community engagement and wellbeing for the University of Pennsylvania’s wellness and athletic divisions. She comes to the Ivy League institution from the University of Oklahoma’s athletic department, where she was the associate director of people, culture, and belonging. Earlier, she worked for the university’s Office of Recruitment and Admissions.
Jennifer Mariacher has been appointed vice president of finance and administration and chief financial officer at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Most recently, she was vice president of finance and administration at Central Penn College. Her other experience in higher education includes finance leadership roles with Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
Jen Brock has been promoted from interim vice president to permanent vice president of marketing and communications at Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She first joined the college in 2022 after serving as the chief communications officer for Marietta City Schools, a charter school near Atlanta, Georgia.
Lauren Selby has been appointed associate director of development for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. For the past two years, she has been the assistant director of development for the university’s College of Education and Health Professions. In addition to her background in development, she has experience in corporate recruiting, operations, and marketing.
Beverly Bracker has been named director of career services at the University of New Mexico. Since 2021, she has served as the program manager for the executive MBA program in the university’s Anderson School of Management. She has over two decades of higher education experience, including prior roles with San Diego State University’s Fowler College of Business and the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California.
Julie Zobel has been named senior vice president and chief operating officer at George Mason University in Virginia. She had been serving in the role on an interim basis since August 2024. A George Mason staff member since 2000, she was the institution’s inaugural chief risk officer prior to her interim appointment.
Adrian Petway has been named vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. She most recently served as the associate vice president for finance and administration at Virginia State University. Earlier, she held financial and strategic planning roles with Virginia Commonwealth University and the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Medicaid Services.
Colby McCarthy has been appointed vice president for enrollment management at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She comes to Hood College from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where she was dean of enrollment management. Previously, she was director of financial aid at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Kristin Agatone has been appointed chief investment officer at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. For the past nine years, she has served in the same capacity at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Earlier in her career, she worked for Harvard Management Company, which oversees the Harvard University Endowment.
Tiffany R. Hinton has been named acting vice president for student success, well-being, and belonging at Hollins University, a women’s undergraduate and co-ed graduate institution in Roanoke, Virginia. Dr. Hinton has been serving as associate vice president and chief Title IX officer at the university. Earlier, she was assistant vice chancellor and chief diversity officer at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina.