Anna Y. Q. Ho, assistant professor of astronomy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has received the 2026 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize from the American Astronomical Society. Presented annually, the award recognizes an early-career scientist for their outstanding achievement, over the past five years, in observational astronomical research based on measurements of radiation from an astronomical object.
Dr. Ho was honored for her investigations of extreme explosions powered by stellar death. Her research has revealed ultra-bright, short-duration optical flaring associated with a new class of visual events called Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs).
“The origin of LFBOTs is a pressing mystery in time-domain astronomy,” said Dr. Ho. “The proposed models would all be important for our understanding of the lives and deaths of stars, as well as the formation and growth of black holes. I am so fortunate to be able to tackle cosmic puzzles with my students, postdocs, and collaborators.”
Before joining the Cornell faculty in 2022, Dr. Ho was a Miller Postdoctoral Fellow with the astronomy department at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an affiliate with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in physics. Dr. Ho received both her master’s degree and Ph.D. in astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology.
Melissa Dutton Schaffer is a new senior associate general counsel at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Most recently, Schaffer was deputy director of the Administrative Law Practice Group in the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety. Earlier in her career, she was associate general counsel at the College of New Jersey.
Amy Latzer is the new chief operating officer at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, California. Her background includes nearly two decades of executive leadership experience. Prior to her new role, Latzer was chief operating officer of 211 LA, an information and referral system for Los Angeles County.
Hillary Procknow has been named vice provost for undergraduate education at the University of Nevada, Reno. She comes to her new role from the University of Texas at Austin, where she has served in a variety of leadership roles for over a decade. During her tenure, she served as the university’s director of general education and college readiness and chief of staff for academic affairs.
April Robinson was appointed chief financial officer at Tennessee State University. With nearly two decades of experience in financial leadership, Robinson most recently led the New York state market for Diageo North America. She also has extensive experience in accounting, audits, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, and global risk management.
Sharon Cooksey is the new media relations director for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She brings over 15 years of experience in strategic communications leadership to her new position. Most recently, she founded and led the media relations department for the Kidde brand, a company that manufactures fire safety products.
Nicole Rader, professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, has received the 2025 Robert Jerin Book Award from the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Victimology.
Claudia Brittenham has been named the Mary R. Morton Professor in the departments of art history and race, diaspora, and indigeneity. Dr. Brittenham’s research focuses on the art of ancient Mesoamerica, with particular attention to the ways that the materiality of art and the politics of style contribute to our understanding of the nature and meaning of images. Her most recent book is 
Margaret Gardel was appointed the Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor in the departments of physics and molecular genetics and cell biology, as well as the School of Molecular Engineering. She is the director of the James Franck Institute and the Center for Living Systems, a National Science Foundation Physics Frontier Center. Her research investigates how living matter emerges from collections of molecules to control the physiology of cells and tissues. She joined the university’s faculty in 2007. Dr. Gardel is a graduate of Brown University, where she majored in physics and mathematics. She earned a Ph.D. at Harvard University.
Sonia Kupfer has been appointed the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Professor in the department of medicine. She serves as director of the Center for Clinical Genetics and Genomics and the GI Cancer Risk and Prevention clinic. Also, Dr. Kupfer is the inaugural director of the university’s Community for Advancement of Physician-Scientists for the Biological Sciences Division and the School of Medicine. Her research focuses on diagnosing and treating patients with genetic disorders such as hereditary gastrointestinal cancer syndromes and celiac disease. Professor Kupfer earned her medical degree at the University of Chicago.
Emma Edelman Levine has been named the Charles M. Harper Professor in the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Dr. Levine studies the psychology of altruism, trust, and ethical dilemmas. Her research seeks to understand how individuals make trade-offs between different values, and how this influences decision-making and social perception. Her main stream of research investigates the tension between honesty and benevolence. She joined the university’s faculty in 2017. Professor Levine holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and economics and a Ph.D. in operations, information, and decisions, all from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jennifer E. Mosley has been named the George Herbert Jones Professor in the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice. Dr. Mosley’s scholarship examines the ways human service nonprofits, philanthropic foundations and government agencies work together to produce social policy and implement social programming in the United States. She is the co-author of 
Jennifer Pitts is the David and Mary Winton Green Professor and chair of the department of political science. She is a scholar of modern political and international thought. Professor Pitts is the author of 
Abigail Sussman has been appointed the V. Duane Rath Professor at the university’s business school. Dr. Sussman’s research examines psychological biases that can lead consumers to commit errors in budgeting, spending, borrowing, and investing. She is a past president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making and served as an associate editor at the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. Professor Sussman earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University in cognitive science and economics, and a joint Ph.D. from the psychology department and the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Judith Zeitlin has been named the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Service Professor in the department of East Asian languages and civilizations. Professor Zeitlin’s work combines literary history with other disciplines, including music, visual and material culture, medicine, gender studies, and film. She is the author of 
Four faculty members at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been awarded the inaugural Joan Heckler Gillings Endowed Professorship. These professorships are funded through an estate gift from the late Joan Heckler Gillings. 
Born in Philadelphia, the daughter of a clothing model and the president of Whitman Chocolate Co., Gillings, née Heckler, was reared in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She moved to Chapel Hill in the early 1970s with her two young sons and joined the staff of the UNC department of biostatistics in 1974. Later, Gillings obtained a real estate license. She brokered residential and commercial properties in Chapel Hill and around the world. In 2007, she and her former husband donated $50 million to the School of Public Health. 
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Aviva Abramovsky has been named the twelfth president and chief executive officer of the National Judicial College. Upon assuming her new role, she will become the first woman to lead the institution.
Beverly Wendland has been named the next provost and vice president for academic affairs at West Virginia University. Her appointment is effective July 1.
Lisa Murphey Lundquist has been named executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Dartmouth College, an Ivy League institution in Hanover, New Hampshire, is set to establish a new residence hall and park funded entirely by Dartmouth alumnae.
“We should be looking for what will inspire future generations of leaders to make positive change in their environments. What example can we give?” said Darmouth Trustee Susie Huang, one of the alumnae who initiated the idea for Alumnae Hall. “I want young women and men at Dartmouth to say, ‘Look at how these alumnae made this building possible. I can be someone who gives back, too.’ These kinds of examples work because they are visible.”
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.
Nora R. Miller, president of Mississippi University for Women, has announced her intent to retire on June 30, 2026.
Pei-Fang Hung was promoted from interim vice provost to permanent vice provost for academic programs at California State University, Long Beach. A faculty member with the university since 2010, she previously served as chair of the department of speech-language pathology. A trilingual speech-language pathologist, Dr. Hung has extensive clinical experience working with individuals with neurogenic speech and language disorders. Her research focuses on aphasia management, neurogenic cognitive-communication disorders, and language impairments related to early dementia.
Nam-Kyu Park is the new chair of the department of interior design in the College of Design, Construction, and Planning at the University of Florida, where she has taught for nearly two decades. Dr. Park’s areas of expertise include building energy, sustainable architecture, and design. Through her research, she aims to address the impact of lighting in interior environments and environmental design for special needs populations. Dr. Park also studies cultural dimensions of the built environment defining environmental and social sustainability.
Donna Ginther, the Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of Kansas, was awarded the 2025 Carolyn Shaw Bell Award from the American Economic Association. The honor recognizes individuals who have furthered the status of women in the economics profession.
Following over five months of interim service, Kecia Williams Smith has been named dean of the Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University. An associate professor of accounting, Dr. Smith has served as director of the university’s master of accountancy degree program since its inception in 2019. Her scholarship centers on audit quality, regulatory oversight, auditor judgment, and the advancement of diversity in the accounting profession.
Nicole Hand is the new dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at Murray State University in Kentucky. Professor Hand, who has served on the Murray State faculty for over 25 years, has led the college on an interim basis since January 2025. Earlier in her tenure, she served as the college’s assistant dean for five years and as associate dean for one year. Professor Hand teaches courses in several disciplines, particularly in printmaking.
Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz has been selected to serve as interim dean of Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University in New York. Kantrowitz began her career with the university in the 1980s as a residence hall director. After holding positions in student services at the University of California, Berkeley and Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, she returned to Syracuse in 2002 as director of residence life. Since 2018, Kantrowitz has served as associate dean of Hendricks Chapel.
Jenn Garye has been promoted to assistant vice president for research business strategy and operations at Florida State University. A staff member with the university for nearly two decades, she most recently served as director of business operations. Earlier in her tenure, she held positions in the department of biological science and FSU Athletics.
Amanda S. Ballinger was recently appointed chief information officer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. With over 25 years of experience in banking and higher education, she currently serves as vice provost and chief information officer at Oregon State University. In her new role, Ballinger will oversee all aspects of RPI’s enterprise technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise computing, and digital innovation initiatives.
Carey Perry has been promoted from interim vice president to permanent vice president of communications at Florida Atlantic University. She has served in various communications and public relations roles with the university for the past 23 years. Throughout her tenure, she has developed communications strategies across multiple campuses and worked to advance FAU’s visibility, including efforts to amplify the university’s research enterprise.
Elise Wilson has been promoted from interim executive director to permanent executive director for alumni and development at Mississippi University for Women. Before her new role, Wilson was director of the university’s Career Services and Professional Development Center for two years. Earlier in her career, she was the employee engagement manager for Dutch Oil Company.
Michelle Guobadia, senior director of student engagement and director of fraternity and sorority life at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, was recently awarded the 2025 Dr. Robert H. Shaffer Award from the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA). Presented annually, the award recognizes an individual in the field of higher education who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to fraternities and sororities.
Valerie A. Thomas has been named the Thomas M. Brooks Forestry Professor at Virginia Tech. A faculty member since 2007, she currently teaches as a professor of forest remote sensing in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment. In her scholarly work, Dr. Thomas focuses on forest ecosystems, forest cover and condition, and forest change. Through remote sensor technologies and novel algorithms, her research has advanced the understanding and management of forested landscapes.
Shaily Mahendra has been appointed to the Richard G. Newman AECOM Endowed Chair in Civil Engineering in the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. She first joined the UCLA faculty in 2009 and currently serves as a professor of civil and environmental engineering. She is also a member of the California NanoSystems Institute, the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and the Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Interdepartmental Program. Her research centers on incorporating advanced molecular, synthetic, and systems biology applications in the monitoring and control of natural and built environments.
Esther Freeman, associate professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, is the inaugural L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty/CeraVe Endowed Chair in Global Health Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Freeman performs epidemiological research in the area of HIV dermatology and global health, particularly relating to HIV-associated malignancies, such as Kaposi’s sarcoma. Since 2020, Professor Freeman has also conducted extensive research on the effects of COVID-19 on the skin.
Laura Marcu has been named the Endowed Professor of Neurosurgical Research at the University of California, Davis, where she serves as founding director of the National Center for Interventional Biophotonic Technologies. In this role, Dr. Marcu works to develop medical applications of light-based technologies, including Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIm), a pen-like device that surgeons can use to scan and highlight unhealthy tissues in real-time. Currently, Dr. Marcu is focusing on advancing the FLIm tool for applications in surgical oncology, cardiovascular diagnostics, and regenerative medicine.
Following the abrupt resignation of Chancellor Rodney Bennett, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has selected Kathy Ankerson, professor emerita of architecture, to serve as interim chancellor while the university searches for its next permanent leader.
Deb Schrag has been selected to serve as president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology for the 2027-2028 academic year. She will begin a one-year term as president-elect on June 1, 2026.
Sonja M. Brown has been appointed interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. In her new role, Dr. Brown will oversee the university’s four academic colleges, faculty affairs, the Charles W. Chestnutt Library, the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, and the Office of Sponsored Research.
Two faculty members at Meredith College, a women’s liberal arts educational institution in North Carolina, have received a nearly $500,000 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health for their project, “Advancing Insight into Maternal Social Support.” For their project, Dr. Pamela Norcross, associate professor of child development, and Dr. Betty-Shannon Prevatt, associate professor of psychology, will examine how social support interventions during pregnancy affect the incidence of postpartum mood disorders.
Utah State University recently received a gift from alumna Janet Osborne and her daughter Lisa to establish the Osborn Family Lactation Suite. Housed in the university’s Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center, the facility will serve as a warm and welcoming space for nursing mothers on campus.
Rutgers University-Camden has received a five-year, $700,000 award from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Clare Boothe Luce Program for Women in STEM. The grant will support two endowed professorships for women faculty members, as well as a multifaceted program offering mentorship for STEM faculty and students, community outreach, and curriculum reform.
The department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center received a $2,145,000 grant from the Roots & Wings Foundation to grow the university’s certified nurse-midwife program. The new funds made it possible to immediately hire two certified nurse-midwives who were already working within the Medical Center as labor and delivery nurses. Going forward, the Medical Center plans to introduce at least eight certified nurse-midwives into its hospitals and clinics, with a goal of offering round-the-clock service by 2027.
Mary T. Champagne, dean emerita of the Duke University School of Nursing, passed away on December 14. She was 79 years old.
Paola Ehrmantraut is the new vice provost for academic affairs at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. A faculty member since 2009, she currently serves as the Endowed Chair in the Humanities, director of the master’s degree program in diversity leadership, and an associate professor of Spanish. Her research focuses on gender and its representations in Latin American culture.
Alicia Moore was recently promoted to professor of education at Southwestern University, making her the university’s first African American woman to earn the rank of full professor. Dr. Moore has been a faculty member with Southwestern University for the past 24 years and currently teaches courses in early childhood education, special education, general education, and diversity.
Kalenda Eaton has been appointed associate dean of the University of Oklahoma Honors College. Dr. Eaton, a professor in the university’s Clara Luper Department of African & African Studies, brings over 20 years of experience in academic leadership, interdisciplinary research, and student-centered program development to her new role.
Shannon Duvall has been named interim associate dean of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics for the College of Arts and Sciences at Elon University in North Carolina. She has been a faculty member with the university’s department of computer science for over two decades. As a scholar, she specializes in assistive technology, seeking to make technology solutions for people with disabilities.
Valerie Ragan, former director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has received the Medal of Distinction from the United States Animal Health Association. The award, considered the organization’s highest honor, recognizes outstanding leadership and lifetime contributions to the field.
Linda Haddad has been named dean of the Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University. She currently serves as a visiting provost’s fellow at the University of Michigan-Flint. Earlier, she was dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Memphis in Tennessee. Earlier, she held senior leadership roles in nursing at several universities, including the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the University of Florida, and the Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Jennifer Gwilym has been selected to serve as interim senior dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University. A faculty member with the college since 2007, she currently teaches as a clinical professor of family medicine. She has served in a variety of leadership roles throughout her long tenure, including chair of the department of primary care and interim senior associate dean of admissions.
Linda Weglicki was appointed interim dean of the College of Nursing at Michigan State University. From 2018 to 2023, Dr. Weglicki served as dean of the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina. More recently, she has been a consultant for the Office of Health Research in the College of Nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit, as well as the College of Nursing at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Earlier in her career, she taught at Florida Atlantic University.
Jing Wang, dean of the College of Nursing at Florida State University, has been awarded the Fellowship Ad Eundem by the Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The designation is conferred upon leaders whose professional achievements have significantly advanced healthcare and the nursing profession worldwide.
Valerie Hausman has been named associate vice provost for global administration at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She currently serves as associate vice provost for Duke Kunshan University, a liberal arts educational institution jointly operated by Duke and Wuhan University in China. Earlier in her career, Hausman was associate dean for global executive education at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.
Erin Sexton was named vice president for government and community relations at the University of Minnesota. She comes to her new role from the Mayo Clinic, where she most recently served as senior director of external relations. Her earlier roles include government affairs and policy positions at Medtronic, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Minnesota Medical Association, and Xcel Energy.
Pomona College and Pitzer College in California have selected Danielle Lynch to serve as director of athletics for the Pomona-Pitzer athletic program. She has over two decades of leadership experience in collegiate athletics administration, including compliance, equitable access and oversight, and student athlete welfare. Most recently, Dr. Lynch served as director of athletics at Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
Lisa Nashua is the new executive director of the Friends of the Fullerton College Foundation. With over 25 years of experience in higher education and development, Dr. Nashua specializes in serving as a community liaison to build partnerships with philanthropy, business, nonprofits, academic leadership, and faculty to enhance student support programs. Earlier, she held leadership roles with the Chaffey College Foundation and the Los Angeles Community College Foundation.
Brandi Tatum-Fedrick was promoted to vice president for university advancement at Florida A&M University. She will also serve as executive director of the FAMU Foundation. She has held these roles on an interim basis for the past four months. Prior to her new appointment, Tatum-Fedrick served in a series of progressive leadership roles at the university, most recently as assistant vice president for annual and affinity giving and alumni affairs.
After eight months of interim service, Dana Haggas has been officially named chief information officer for Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She first joined the university in 1999 as an application developer. Over the past two decades, she has served in several information technology leadership positions, including manager of PeopleSoft applications, senior director, interim deputy chief information officer, and associate chief information officer in enterprise applications.
Theresa Delaplain, associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas, recently won first place in the 2025 American Prize in Instrumental Performance (Winds) competition. Founded in 2009, the American Prize is a series of nonprofit, national competitions designed to recognize and reward the very best in the performing arts in the United States.
Molly McNicoll, associate professor in biology and natural areas manager, will serve as the next Nena Amundson Distinguished Professor. The endowed chair is named in honor of Nena Amundson (1932-1999), who taught physical education and coached women’s athletics at the college for more than 40 years. Dr. McNicoll’s research focuses on how to apply ecological knowledge to maintain and restore native habitats. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in botany, Dr. McNicoll earned a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in plant biology from the University of Illinois.
Amy Weldon, professor of English and the English department head, will serve as the next Dennis M. Jones Chair in the Humanities. The chair is named in honor of Luther Professor of English Dennis M. Jones (1932-1990). Dr. Weldon teaches courses on creative writing and British Romanticism. She is the author of several novels as well as works on nonfiction, including 
Jodi Enos-Berlage, professor of biology, will serve as the next Russell R. Rulon Endowed Chair in Biology. The chair honors Russell R. Rulon (1936-2016), a professor of biology at Luther College from 1963 to 2000. Dr. Enos-Berlage conducts water quality research in the Dry Run Creek Watershed. This 20,000-acre watershed drains into a common stream that enters the City of Decorah and subsequently empties into the Upper Iowa River. Professor Enos-Berlage is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she majored in microbiology. She holds a Ph.D. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Charlotte Kunkel, professor of sociology and identity studies department head, will serve as the first Wardell Professor in Sociology. The chair was established through a generous endowment gift by Mark Wardell (1946-2024), a 1968 graduate of Luther College. Professor Kinkel joined the faculty of the college in 1995. Her research focuses on the topics of gender, stratification, and visual sociology. Dr. Kunkel is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder.