Sally Coleman Selden has been named the twelfth president of the University of Lynchburg in Virginia. She will succeed the university’s current president, Allison Morrison-Shetlar, who is slated to retire on June 30.
The University of Lynchburg enrolls about 1,600 undergraduates and 700 graduate students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women represent 57 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Dr. Selden’s appointment marks a return to the University of Lynchburg, where she previously taught for 18 years. During her initial tenure at the university, she served in several key leadership roles, including director of the MBA program, chair of the management department, faculty chair, director of the master’s degree program in nonprofit leadership studies, associate provost, and provost. Currently, Dr. Selden is provost and dean of the college at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
As a scholar, Dr. Selden focuses on nonprofit management, human resources management, and leadership studies. In addition to numerous scholarly articles, she is the author of Human Capital: Tools and Strategies for the Public Sector (CQ Press, 2008).
“The University of Lynchburg holds a special place in my heart, and I am honored to return as its next president,” said Dr. Selden. “I believe deeply in the power of this community — its people, its values, and its mission — and I am excited to work together to support our students, invest in our faculty and staff, and build momentum for the university’s next chapter.”
Dr. Selden received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Virginia and her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
Sarah Wisdom has been named the fourteenth president of William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. She will begin her presidency on July 1.
Sylvia Hurtado, distinguished professor in the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been voted president-elect of the American Educational Research Association. She will serve as president-elect in 2026-2027 and assume her presidency at the association’s 2027 annual meeting.
Marrielle Myers, associate professor of mathematics education at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, was elected president of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. She will serve a one-year term as president-elect, followed by a two-year term as president.
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.
Five faculty members have been named distinguished professors by the board of trustees of the University of Alabama System.
Mercy Mumba was named a Distinguished Research Professor in the Capstone College of Nursing. She is the founding director of the Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions at the university. Her work addresses critical public health challenges with an emphasis on substance use, addiction, and mental health research. Dr. Mumba holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a Ph.D. in nursing science research and education from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Anna Embree was appointed a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Communication and Information Sciences. Professor Embree is known nationally and internationally for her outstanding contributions to the teaching of book arts. She teaches bookbinding and book structures in the master of fine arts degree program in book arts at the School of Library and Information Studies. Professor Embree is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she majored in art and art history. She holds a master’s degree in clothing and textiles from Iowa State University.
Kim Severt was named a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. She is the director of the hospitality management program at the university. She joined the University of Alabama faculty in 2012. Earlier, she taught at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Severt is a graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where she majored in management. She holds a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. in hospitality management from Oklahoma State University.
Judith D. Singer, the James Bryant Conant Professor of Education at Harvard University, has announced her intent to step down from her role as the Ivy League institution’s senior vice provost for faculty. Her last day in the position will be June 30.
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.
Christine Johnson McPhail, former president of Cypress College in California and past president of St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away on March 1. She was 80 years old.
Bates College, the highly selective liberal arts educational institution in Lewiston, Maine, has announced the promotion of seven faculty members to the rank of associate professor. The seven scholars were also granted tenure. Five of the promotions went to women.
Yunkyoung L. Garrison, who joined Bates in 2020, was promoted to associate professor of psychology. Dr. Garrison’s work centers on psychological well-being and vocational outcomes among people of color and immigrant and refugee communities. Dr. Garrison holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in psychology from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. She earned a master’s degree in educational measurement and statistics and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa.
Lisa R. Gilson joined the Bates faculty in 2020. She has been promoted to associate professor of politics. Prior to her arrival at Bates, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. Dr. Gilson’s research focuses on political reactions that reject institutional paths toward change, from abolitionist movements to contemporary far-right groups. She is a graduate of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale University.
Seulgie Claire Lim is a new associate professor of politics. Her research focuses on gender equality; women’s political movement and participation in West Africa, specifically in Senegal; and African feminism. Dr. Lim holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international relations from Seoul National University in South Korea. She holds a Ph.D. in political science from Boston University with a certificate in African studies.
Zhenzhen Lu was promoted to associate professor of Chinese. Dr. Lu’s work focuses on the practices of reading, writing, publishing, and performance in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. She is the author of 
Sarah B. Lynch was promoted to associate professor of classical and medieval studies and history. She is the author of 
Mary Hendrix, the sixteenth president of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is slated to retire at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Carrie Heilman, associate professor of marketing at the University of Virginia, passed away on February 25. She was 54 years old and had suffered from cancer.
Betty Kim has been named a core faculty member at the James P. Allison Institute at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she currently teaches as a professor of neurosurgery. Dr. Kim also holds a dual appointment as a professor of neurosurgery at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. In her lab, she studies immune-based therapeutic strategies for brain tumors, with a focus on glioblastoma.
Stacey Connaughton was appointed vice chair of the Purdue@DC Council. In this role, she will develop long-term strategic planning for Purdue University’s presence in the nation’s capital. A Purdue faculty member for over two decades, Dr. Connaughton serves as a professor in the Brian Lamb School of Communication and director of the Purdue Policy Research Institute. Her primary research interests are leadership, political violence prevention, and policy.
Jennifer Vonk has been promoted to the rank of distinguished professor at Oakland University in Michigan. The title is the university’s highest faculty honor. Dr. Vonk, a professor of psychology, studies the evolutionary foundations of cognition across species. Her more recent research has focused on examining the effects of religiosity, attachment, and perspective-taking on human decision-making processes.
Sheila Browne has joined the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music as a professor of viola. She most recently served as a distinguished artist-in-residence at Lynn Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida. Her other experience in academia includes teaching positions with the Tianjin Juilliard School, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Delaware, the University of Tennessee, Duke University in North Carolina, and New York University.
Amy Grunden is associate dean for research and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. A faculty member since 2000, Dr. Grunden currently holds the title of William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the department of plant and microbial biology. Her research centers on beneficial microorganisms and their applications in crop improvement, soil health, carbon capture, and sustainable agriculture.
Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education, recently announced this year’s recipients of the Richard Guarasci and Eduardo J. Padrón Awards for Presidential Leadership. The annual awards are presented to presidents or chancellors from four-year institutions and community colleges, respectively, who have exemplified a deep and sustained commitment to civic and community engagement throughout their careers.
Mary K. Grant, president of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, received the 2026 Richard Guarasci Award for Presidential Leadership.
Julie White, chancellor and CEO of Pierce College District in Washington, received the 2026 Eduardo J. Padrón Award for Presidential Leadership.
Laila Khreisat was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the Gregory H. Olsen College of Engineering and Science at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey. Dr. Khreisat first joined the university’s faculty in 2005 as an assistant professor and achieved the rank of full professor in 2018. She previously served as chair of the department of math and computer science and associate dean of the Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences.
Tracy DeLiberty has been selected to serve as interim dean of the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment at the University of Delaware. She has served as the college’s deputy dean for the past four years. A University of Delaware faculty member for over three decades, Dr. DeLiberty is a scholar in climate science, geographic information systems, and remote sensing.
Alicia Purvis is dean of the College of Health Sciences at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. A nurse for more than 20 years, Dr Purvis first joined the university’s School of Nursing as an administrator in 2016. Three years later, she was promoted to dean of nursing. Her clinical background includes experience in emergency medicine and critical care units.
Angie Bos has been appointed vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Dr. Bos currently serves as dean of the School of Public Service at Boise State University in Idaho. Before joining the Boise State faculty, she was chair of the department of political science and associate dean for experiential learning at the College of Wooster in Ohio. Her research examines the challenges women face when seeking leadership roles in politics.
Debbie Dailey is dean of the College of Education at the University of Central Arkansas. Over the course of her 13-year tenure with the university, Dr. Dailey has served as a faculty member, chair of the department of teaching and learning, interim associate dean, and interim dean. Before her career in higher education, she spent 20 years in K-12 classrooms and schools.
Jodi Price was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences at the University of Alabama at Huntsville. Before her interim appointment in June 2025, Dr. Price was the college’s associate dean. A faculty member since 2008, she previously served as chair of the department of psychology. Her research examines how learning and memory change across the lifespan.
Jes Cornelius is vice president of information and enterprise risk for the University of Cincinnati Foundation. Her background includes extensive experience in enterprise technology, digital transformation, and operational leadership. In her new role, Cornelius will focus on modernizing the foundation’s platforms, collaborating to improve operational processes, building out capabilities to support modern architecture, and developing a sustainable enterprise risk program.
Keelin Davis was promoted to associate dean and executive director of the pre-college and continuing education department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She first joined the department in 2019 as a program manager and was promoted to associate director five years later. A violinist, Davis helped to launch the conservatory’s early childhood program to introduce young students to music in 2021.
Sheila Thimba is senior vice president for finance and administration at Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York System. Throughout her career, Thimba has served in senior leadership leadership roles at Harvard College, Rutgers University, Columbia University, and New York University. Her background includes experience in finance, operations, human resources, facilities, and technology.
Loran C. Parker was promoted from associate director to director of the Evaluation and Learning Research Center in the College of Education at Purdue University. She first joined the center as an assessment specialist in 2009 and has served as associate director for the past nine years. Dr. Parker’s research focuses on participatory evaluation approaches to learn how to build, develop, and sustain learning communities working toward social justice.
Amy Becher has been named vice president for enrollment management at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Becher comes to her new role from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, where she has served as vice president for enrollment management for more than 10 years. Her other experience in higher education includes leadership roles at Theil College, Concordia University, and the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music, Dance, and Theatre.
Angelique D. Stallings is deputy chief of staff at North Carolina Central University. Most recently, Stallings served as vice president of community investment for the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. She is also the founder and principal consultant of the MochaMind Agency, a public relations and marketing firm for nonprofit, corporate, and mission-driven organizations.
LaVada R. Rice is vice president of enrollment management at Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina. With over 20 years of higher education experience, Dr. Rice most recently served as director of admissions at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Missouri. Earlier in her career, she was director of Metro St. Louis Extended Campuses at Webster University. She has also served in admissions leadership roles at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.
Margaret Arnold was promoted from associate vice president to vice president for philanthropy at Auburn University in Alabama. An Auburn staff member since 2012, she previously served as senior director of development for the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. Earlier in her career, she held advancement roles with Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, and Belmont University in Nashville.
Cindy G. Foust is executive director of the University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation. She first joined the university in 2018 and has served as interim executive director for the past four months. Earlier, she was a senior development officer. In her new role, Foust will provide oversight for the ULM Foundation, as well as advancement and alumni relations.
Erica Litke, associate professor of mathematics education at the University of Delaware, has been awarded the 2026 Early Career Award from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. The annual award honors a mathematics teacher educator who, early in their career, has made distinguished contributions and shows exceptional potential for leadership in one or more areas of teaching, service, and scholarship.
Karen Kopera-Frye, professor of public health sciences at New Mexico State University, has been appointed to a four-year term as editor-in-chief of Gerontology & Geriatrics Education. Dr. Kopera-Frye first joined the NMSU faculty in 2016 as associate dean for what is now the College of Health, Education, and Social Transformation. As a scholar, she focuses her work on health promotion and healthy aging among diverse groups, particularly Indigenous and Latinx elders.
Jessica Maddox, associate professor of entertainment and media studies at the University of Georgia, is the inaugural editor-in-chief of Creator and Influencer Studies, a new open access journal published by Springer Nature. As a scholar, she specializes in pop culture and labor on social media. She is the author of 
Eleanor Saunders Morris, longtime financial aid adminstrator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, passed away on February 16. She was 92 years old.
Robin Lynn Cautin has been named the eleventh president of Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. She will begin her tenure on July 1.
Antonia Maioni has been named the seventh president of John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. Upon assuming her role on July 1, she will become the university’s first woman president.
C.C. McKee was promoted to associate professor of the history of art. She also serves as director of the Center for Visual Culture at the college. Dr. McKee, who joined the college’s faculty in 2019, specializes in the art, visual, and material culture of the modern Atlantic World with an emphasis on the French empire and the colonial Caribbean. She is the author of the forthcoming book Human Limits: Art, Ecology, and Race in the French Atlantic c. 1750-1900. Dr. McKee is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in history and the history of art. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in art history from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Aline Normoyle was named an associate professor of computer science. Her research on game development, virtual reality, and game AI explores the intersection of computer programming with art and design. Dr. Normoyle, who shares a U.S. patent for an extended reality user interface, joined the college’s faculty in 2020. Dr. Normoyle is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, where she majored in computer science. She holds a master’s degree in computer graphics and game technology and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ariana Orvell was promoted to associate professor of psychology. She is the director of the Connection, Affect, and Regulation of Emotion (CARE) Lab at the college. Her research centers on identifying basic mechanisms that allow people to effectively regulate their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Dr. Orvell joined the Bryn Mawr faculty in 2020. She is a graduate of Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in urban studies with a concentration in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education in New York City and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Michigan.
Chanelle Wilson was promoted to associate professor of education. She joined Bryn Mawr’s education department in 2017 as a visiting instructor and earned a tenure-track position in 2020. Dr. Wilson served as director of Africana Studies from 2020 to 2023. Her current scholarship focuses on race and anti-racism in education, decolonization of schools and the mind, students as teachers and learners, culturally relevant pedagogy in international schooling contexts, and multicultural education in K-12 settings. Dr. Wilson is a graduate of Rowan University in New Jersey. She holds a master’s degree in urban education from Temple University in Philadelphia and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware.
Elon University in North Carolina enrolls close to 6,500 undergraduate students and nearly 800 graduate students, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 59 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Oliva Choplin was promoted to professor of French in the department of world languages and cultures. Her teaching and research interests include foreign language pedagogy, French theater, psychoanalytic theory, contemporary Québécois literature, and literature of the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora. Dr. Chopin is a graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where she majored in French and English. She holds a Ph.D. in French literature from Emory University in Atlanta.
Jennifer Hamel was named a professor of biology. She is also the director of undergraduate research at the university. Professor Hamel joined the faculty in 2014. He research focuses on the influence of community interactions on the evolution of behavior and the ecology and evolution of vibrational communication. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she majored in art and Russian studies. Dr. Hamel earned a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Missouri.
Heidi Hollingsworth was appointed professor of education. She is the director of the master’s degree program in education. Dr. Hollingsworth joined the faculty full-time in 2011. Her research interests include children’s early math and science development as well as teacher preparation, especially that which involves academic service-learning, community-based learning, community asset mapping, study abroad, and policy and advocacy. Professor Hollingsworth is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she majored in elementary education. She earned a master’s degree in education from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and a Ph.D. in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Patricia Perkins was appointed professor of law. Her research and teaching interests include state and federal constitutional issues involving solitary confinement and methods of execution, legal vehicles for litigating state constitutional claims, and international law and comparative law perspectives on conditions of confinement, with particular focus on the Constitution and laws of South Africa. Professor Perkins is a graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, where she majored in history. She earned her law degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Andrea Sinn was promoted to full professor of history. She also serves as director of the International & Global Studies program at the university. Dr. Sinn is a historian of modern Germany and Jewish history. She is deeply engaged in research on the Third Reich and the immediate post-Holocaust period. Professor Sinn holds a master’s degree in modern history, medieval history and religious studies and a Ph.D. in modern history from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany.
Tracey Thurnes was named professor of physician assistant studies. She also serves as academic operations coordinator of physician assistant studies and as director of the Accelerated Pathways Program. A member of the faculty since 2012, Dr. Thurnes focuses on organizational leadership, leadership development, and innovative pedagogical practices for effective teaching and learning. Professor Thurnes holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. She also holds a master of physician assistant studies degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Jen Uno is a professor of biology. She also serves as associate director of the university’s Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Learning. Her research focuses on the interactions between the immune cells and the microbes that reside in the intestine. Dr. Uno is a graduate of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, where she majored in exercise science and chemistry. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in physiology at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Kate Upton joined the Elon University faculty in 2014 and is now a professor of finance. Earlier in her career, she worked in the fixed income unit at Morgan Asset Management. Her research interests are in investments, specifically exchange-traded funds, target date funds, and 529 plans. Professor Upton holds a master’s degree in financial risk management and a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Alabama.
Rena Zito was appointed professor of sociology in the department of sociology and anthropology at Elon. Her research focuses on the social roots of rule-violating behavior, identity formation, and stigma processes. She teaches courses on criminology, embodied stigma, homelessness, and quantitative research methods. Professor Zito is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she majored in sociology and psychology. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from North Carolina State University.
Augusta Lynn Bolles, professor emerita of women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Maryland, passed away on February 8. She was 76 years old.
Recently, 112 survivor advocacy groups sent a joint 
Ireri Elizabeth Chávez–Bárcenas was promoted to associate professor of music. She is a musicologist specializing in the cultural and sonic landscapes of early modern New Spain, with a particular focus on vernacular song traditions across Spanish-speaking territories in the Americas throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Dr. Chávez-Bárcenas is the author of the forthcoming book Sounding Race, Identity, and Devotion in Puebla de los Ángeles (Oxford University Press). A graduate of Universidad de las Américas Puebla in Mexico, Dr. Chávez-Bárcenas earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at Princeton University and a second master’s degree at Yale University.
Samia Shabnam Rahimtoola was named an associate professor of English. She is a scholar of modern American literature and culture with a focus on literary engagements with environmentalism, imperialism, and gender and sexuality. She is the author of the forthcoming book 
Mary Rogalski was promoted to associate professor of biology and environmental studies. Her research focuses on how environmental impacts – including pollution and climate change – impact freshwater ecosystems. She joined the Bowdoin College faculty in 2018. Dr. Rogalski is a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where she majored in biology and environmental studies. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University.
Maron Wein Sorenson will be an associate professor of government and legal studies. Her research focuses on American politics and institutions more generally. Specifically, she examines multiple areas of judicial politics, including strategic behavior, the separation of powers, and decision-making at the U.S. Supreme Court. Dr. Sorenson joined the faculty in 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.
Vanessa Rosa was appointed faculty director of the newly launched Climate Justice Lab in the Miller Worley Center for the Environment at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Dr. Rosa is an associate professor of Latinx studies and co-chair of the department of critical race and political economy at the college. Her research centers on the reproduction of race and racism in cities and housing policy, as well as community organizing in the context of structural inequality.
Joan DerHovsepian has been named professor in the practice for viola at Rice University in Houston for the 2026-2027 academic year. DerHovsepian, principal viola of the Houston Symphony, has taught as an instructor of orchestral repertoire at Rice’s Shepherd School of Music for over 20 years. Before her promotion to principal viola in 2023, she was the Houston Symphony’s associate principal for 13 seasons.
Pamela Vayda is department head and director for the master of physician assistant studies program at Mississippi State University-Meridian. She first joined the university’s graduate physician assistant studies program as an assistant teaching professor in 2024 and was soon promoted to assistant program director of curriculum, assessment, and accreditation. Earlier in her career, she was a kinesiology instructor at MSU-Meridian and a faculty member at Meridian Community College.
M. Diane Burton was appointed senior associate dean for research, outreach, and external relations for Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, where she holds the Joseph R. Rich ’80 Professor of Human Resource Studies. Dr. Burton also serves as director of the university’s Institute for Compensation Studies. As an organizational sociologist, she studies innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as how management systems affect firms and individuals.
Laura W. Perna has been promoted to senior vice provost for faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Perna, the GSE Centennial Presidential Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education, has served as Penn’s vice provost for faculty since 2020. She is also the co-founder of the university’s Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy. Her scholarly expertise centers on college access, affordability, and success, especially for low-income, first-generation, and non-traditional students.
Jennifer Glover Konfrst was appointed associate dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She first joined the university’s faculty in 2013 and was promoted to full professor in 2025. Professor Konfrst is founder of Drake’s strategic political communication major. Before coming to Drake, she worked in public relations for two decades, including strategic leadership roles with Iowa Public Television.
Jewell Parker Rhodes, the Piper Endowed Chair of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University, was awarded the 2026 Correta Scott King Book Award from the American Library Association. The annual award recognizes outstanding books for young adults and children by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience.
Dr. Rhodes’ award-winning book, 
Allison Renee Webel has been appointed dean of the School of Nursing and professor of nursing at the University of Michigan. Dr. Webel comes to her new role from the University of Washington, where she has been serving as associate dean for research and innovation in the School of Nursing. During the 2023-2024 academic year, she was interim executive dean of the tri-campus of the University of Washington School of Nursing in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma. She has a wide range of research interests, including aging with HIV, cardiovascular health, digital innovation in health systems, and global partnerships to address chronic disease.
Patricia Sánchez Abril was promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the School of Law at the University of Miami, where she has taught courses on business law and ethics for over two decades. She has served in several leadership roles throughout her tenure, including chair of the business law department, vice dean of the Miami Herbert Business School, and interim dean of the Graduate School. Professor Abril’s legal research centers on privacy and technology.
Amy Cossentino is dean of the Cliffe College of Creative Arts at Youngstown State University in Ohio. Dr. Cossentino has served in several academic and administrative positions since joining the Youngstown State faculty in 1990. In addition to her new role, she will continue to serve as associate provost and dean of the university’s Sokolov Honors College. She also currently leads the division of experiential learning and engagement, the Office of Community Engagement, and the Tressel Institute for Leadership and Teamwork.
Kneka P. Smith was named dean of the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health at A.T. Still University of Health Sciences. Her appointment marks a return to the ATSU system, where she previously served in senior academic roles with the Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health, the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. For the past five years, Dr. Smith has served as vice president for academic affairs at MaineHealth. Her scholarship focuses on educational innovation, access to care for rural and underserved populations, health workforce development, and population health.