Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Starr Minthorn, professor and chair of the department of educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Oklahoma Jeannie Rainbolt College of Education, has assumed the presidency of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), making her the first Indigenous person to lead the professional organization.
For the past year, Dr. Minthorn has served as president-elect of ASHE, a scholarly society dedicated to advancing research and policy in higher education. She will serve as president for a one-year term, followed by a third year as past-president.
A University of Oklahoma faculty member since 2023, Dr. Minthorn currently leads the university’s Tribal and Indigenous Education Initiatives. In this role, she works to strengthen Tribal partnerships, integrate Indigenous perspectives into academic programs, and support Native students throughout their educational journeys. She also provides professional development to faculty to deepen their understanding of Tribal communities.
Dr. Minthorn’s research centers on Indigenous leadership, Native American college students, and historically Native American fraternities and sororities. Before her current role, she taught at the University of Washington Tacoma, the University of New Mexico, Oklahoma State University, and Pawnee Nation College.
Dr. Minthorn is an enrolled citizen of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Apache, and Assiniboine Nations. She earned her bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma and her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Oklahoma State University.
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.
Simmons University, an undergraduate women’s and co-ed graduate institution in Boston, recently launched a new master’s degree program in management with a concentration in business and leadership in women’s sports. According to the university, this is the first graduate degree program concentration of its kind in the United States.
“The rise of women’s sports is transforming the global sports landscape — and Simmons is proud to lead in preparing graduates to capitalize on this growth and shape the business strategies that will define the next era of the industry,” said Lynn Perry Wooten, president of Simmons University. “Boston is a sports city through and through, and this program builds on that energy while extending our legacy of advancing women-centered leadership in key industries.”
“Having spent nearly two decades in sports and media, I’ve seen firsthand how women’s sports have evolved from the margins to the main stage,” said Pouravelis. “This program is launching at exactly the right time. Our students will engage directly with industry leaders, analyze real-world challenges, and graduate ready to drive growth in one of the most exciting sectors in business today.”
Stephanie Vaughn, longtime creative writing professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, passed away on November 12. She was 81 years old.
Kristina Bowdrie is an assistant professor of communication studies in the department of psychological sciences. Her research explores the complex interactions between individuals with hearing loss and their environments. Dr. Bowdrie earned a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and psychology from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in speech and hearing science from Ohio State University, where she also served as a graduate research associate.
R. Elizabeth Capps is an assistant professor of psychological sciences. Her research interests center on improving outcomes for adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dr. Capps is a graduate of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree in psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Ohio University in Athens.
Krista Freeman has been appointed an assistant professor of physics. She studies the biophysics of bacteriophages — viruses that infect bacteria. Dr. Freeman received her bachelor’s degree in physics, with a minor in mathematics at Cleveland State University. She earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in physics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, before serving as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Pittsburgh.
Yuan Gao is an assistant professor of history. An environmental historian, she is writing a book entitled Tigers and Locusts: Environmental Changes in Late Qing Xinjiang. Dr. Gao received her bachelor’s degree in Russian literature from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, before completing a master’s degree in Eurasian studies at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan. She received her Ph.D. in East and Central Asian history from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and served as a postdoctoral associate at Yale University.
Hayley Jannielli is an assistant professor of voice and acting in the department of theater. She was the head of Voice & Speech for CAP21, the bachelor of fine arts musical theatre program at Molloy University in Rockville Center, New York. She trains voice students to speak with more embodiment, resonance, and connection. Janniellli holds a bachelor’s degree in drama and a master of fine arts degree in acting from the University of California, Irvine.
Rita Obeid is an assistant professor of psychological sciences. She was a visiting associate professor at Lehman College in New York. Her research focuses on child language development to reduce stigma from disabilities. Dr. Obeid received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from the American University of Beirut. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the City University of New York.
Rachel Quist is an assistant professor in the department of art history and art. Dr. Quist was a guest researcher at Osaka University in Japan. Her research centers on Japanese art history, examining the ways that Buddhist images come to life through their relationships to people and places. Dr. Quist holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s degree in the history of art and a Ph.D. in art history, all from the University of Kansas.
Stacy Ryan-Pettes is an associate professor in the department of psychological sciences. Earlier, she was an assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Her research centers on advancing evidence-based interventions for adolescent substance use. Dr Ryan-Pettes holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, all from Emory University in Atlanta.
In an effort to comply with a federal memo sent by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in July, the University of Alabama has eliminated 
Recently, 46 scholars from around the world have been selected as 2025 fellows of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome, the oldest scientific academy in the world. Three of the new fellows are women professors based at universities in the United States.
Paola Arlotta is the Golub Family Professor and chair of the department of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University. An international leader in the field of human brain organoids and chimeroids, Dr. Arlotta focuses her research on the interface between development and engineering of the neocortex. Through her work, she seeks to advance the fundamental understanding of both principles that govern normal cortical development, as well as previously inaccessible mechanisms of human neurodevelopmental disease. Dr. Arlotta received her master’s degree from the University of Trieste in Italy and her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Portsmouth in England.
Jayati Ghosh is a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She joined the university’s faculty in 2021, following 35 years of service at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India. Throughout her career, she has published 21 books and over 200 scholarly articles. As a leader in economics research and policymaking, she has advised governments in India and other countries and has consulted various international organizations, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization. From 2002 to 2021, she was executive secretary of International Development Economics Associates. Dr. Ghosh holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Delhi, a master’s degree in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a second master’s degree and Ph.D. both in economics from the University of Cambridge in England.
Miriam Merad is dean of translational research and therapeutic innovation, chair of the department of immunology and immunotherapy, and director of the Precision Immunology Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She is also director of the Mount Sinai Human Immune Monitoring Center. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Merad is a leading scholar of dendritic cell and macrophage biology, particularly their contributions to human diseases. Her work on tissue-resident macrophage lineage has led to significant advancements regarding organ physiology, pathophysiology, cancer progression, and inflammatory diseases. After earning her medical degree from the University of Algiers, Dr. Merad completed a residency and fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Paris. She received her Ph.D. in immunology through a joint program at Stanford University and the University of Paris.
Ana Rangel is a new assistant professor of large animal internal medicine in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia. An expert in equine internal medicine and pain management, Dr. Rangel has worked in both private practice and racetrack medicine in Mexico City, as well as Louisiana State University and Washington State University. Dr. Rangel’s current research interests center on using ketamine for pain management in horses.
Sarah Fincham has been selected to serve as interim associate dean for academic affairs for the College of Nursing at Washington State University. A faculty member since 2015, she currently serves as a clinical associate professor and director of faculty practice. During her tenure, she has served as interim director of the doctor of nursing practice degree program and as interim chair of the advanced practice department.
Julia Galloway has been granted the title of Regents Professor at the University of Minnesota. The designation is the Montana University System’s highest faculty honor. Galloway, professor and director of the ceramics program, is the fourteenth professor and first visual artist to earn the title since its inception in 1991. Her work, known for blending traditional craft with ecological and cultural commentary, is featured in over 30 solo exhibits and 275 group shows around the world.
Tiffany Chenneville, the Marie E. and E. Leslie Cole Endowed Chair in Ethics at the University of South Florida, has received the 2025 Lifetime Award for Accomplishments in Ethics Education from the American Psychological Association Ethics Committee.
Heidi Pecoraro has been promoted to director of animal resources and attending veterinarian at North Dakota State University. She has served as the university’s interim attending veterinarian for the past 15 months. Dr. Pecarao first joined the NDSU staff in 2018 as a veterinary anatomic pathologist. Prior to her interim appointment, she was director of the NDSU veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
Lauren Grabowski has been named director of discovery for the department of college relations at Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts educational institution for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She has over 15 years of fundraising experience in annual and major giving. In her new role, Grabowski will work to develop relationships with potential donors who are not currently involved with the college.
Dana Gill is the new associate vice president of government relations at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her appointment marks a return to the university, where she previously served as director for state relations. More recently, she led MESH Advisors, a public affairs consultancy she founded to support organizations across health, sustainability, and public interest sectors.
Laquetta Jones Bigelow was appointed director of employee relations and equal employment opportunity and affirmative action officer at North Carolina A&T State University. Her background includes extensive experience in strategic planning and organizational development. Previously, she served as director of equal employment opportunity and civil rights for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service.
Alexis I. Ehrhardt is the new vice president for government relations at Virginia Commonwealth University. With over two decades of professional experience, she most recently served as executive director for state government relations and special assistant to the president at the University of Virginia. Earlier in her career, she held academic and administrative positions at Averett University and Danville Community College, both located in Danville, Virginia.
In a post announcing Professor Daut’s award, the HSA wrote, “Through fine-grained analysis of letters, newspapers, and writings by figures such as Baron de Vastey, Daut vividly reconstructs the complex political and intellectual life of early nineteenth-century Haiti. Her work not only humanizes Christophe and his contemporaries but also illuminates the broader tensions and transformations of the post-revolutionary era. The book engages key historiographical debates while offering new insights into the Haitian Revolution, the formation of the early Haitian state, and the legacies of Black Atlantic humanism.”
Deborah J. Jones has been named the seventh president of the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She will begin her presidency on January 18.
Alison Carr-Chellman has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Pace University in New York City. She will begin her new role on January 20.
Emily Sarver, the Stonie Barker Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named president of the Society of Mining Professors, an international organization dedicated to advancing the future of mining, minerals, and energy disciplines through facilitating information exchange, research and teaching partnerships, and other collaborative activities.
The department of women’s and gender studies at Towson University in Maryland is slated to lose its departmental status, according to a 
As universities around the country grapple with President Trump’s directives to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Duke University recently changed the eligibility requirements for its Baldwin Scholars Program – an undergraduate program originally exclusive to female-identifying students. Now, the program is open to all undergraduates regardless of gender identity.
Ruth Lawrence, professor emerita at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, passed away on October 12. She was 101 years old.
Wendy Raymond, the sixteenth president of Haverford College in Pennsylvania, has announced her intent to retire in June 2027.
Joycelyn Elders, professor emeritus of pediatrics and distinguished professor of public health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, recently received the Alma Dea Morani, M.D., Renaissance Woman Award from the Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation. The award is presented to a woman who has left a significant mark on history and pivotally advanced the future.
Nichole Zehnder is the senior associate dean for undergraduate medical education at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. An associate professor of medicine, Dr. Zehnder previously served as the school’s associate dean for educational strategy. She has been a faculty member at the university since 2020.
Mary Elise Sarotte is slated to join the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs faculty in January as a full professor of global affairs. She comes to her new appointment from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where she was the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies. An expert on the Cold War and its legacy for today’s geopolitics, Dr. Sarotte has held tenured faculty appointments at the University of Cambridge and the University of Southern California.
Camille Robcis is the new chair of the department of history at Columbia University. As a full professor of history and French, she specializes in modern European history; gender and sexuality; and intellectual, cultural, and legal history. She has authored two books, including 
Narcisa Pricope has been tapped to lead the newly established Energy Resilience and Innovation Hub at Mississippi State University, where she serves as a professor of geosciences and associate vice president for research and economic development. Her research focuses on complex socio-ecological systems dynamics, especially centered on understanding and quantifying environmental variability and the vulnerability of populations to environmental changes, especially land degradation.
Pearl Dowe has been promoted to senior vice provost for academic affairs at Emory University in Atlanta. For the past three years, Dr. Dowe has been the university’s vice provost for faculty affairs. As a faculty member, she serves as the Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Political Science and African American Studies. Her current scholarship centers on African American women’s political ambition and public leadership.
Catherine Dunlop, professor of history and philosophy at Montana State University, has received two awards from the American Historical Association for her new book, 
Christine Lovely has been named vice chancellor for campus human resources and chief people officer at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has over two decades of leadership experience in human resources across academic and public sectors. Lovely has been serving as vice president and chief human resources officer at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Earlier, she was chief human resources officer at the University of California, Davis.
Lauri S. Dietz has been named executive director of the Center for Faculty Development at Loyola University Chicago. She comes to her new role from Northwestern University, where she was director of pedagogy and assessment at the Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching. She has also served in similar roles at Stanford University in California and DePaul University in Chicago.
Christine Márquez-Hudson is the president and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan State University of Denver Foundation. For the past seven years, she has served as the university’s vice president of university advancement. Her 30-year career includes service as CEO of the Denver Foundation and CEO and executive director of Mi Casa Resource Center.
Stacy Walsh was promoted to chief marketing and communications officer at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. She most recently served as the university’s associate vice president of marketing and communications. With over 20 years of professional experience, she has held key marketing leadership positions with the United Way of Central Florida and the YMCA of West Central Florida.
Kayla Saunders was appointed director of business development and fundraising at New River Community and Technical College in Beaver, West Virginia. Her appointment marks a return to the college, where she previously served as an advancement and recruitment specialist. In her new role, she will lead the institution’s efforts to strengthen partnerships, expand fundraising initiatives, and enhance community engagement.
Louisa Blenman has been appointed executive director of international programs at Florida State University. She has worked for FSU International Programs since 2004 and served as associate director since 2018. Previously, she spent a decade working in study abroad in London after completing an internship at the Fulbright Commission.
Elyssa Kelley has been named assistant vice president of campaigns and planning at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s liberal arts institution in South Hadley, Massachusetts. With an extensive background in fundraising, she most recently served as assistant vice president of development at the Connecticut Children’s Foundation. Before that, she was director of development for women and family philanthropy at the University of Connecticut.
Kristen Graves, assistant professor of ethnomusicology in the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, recently received the Bess Lomax Hawes Prize in Applied Ethnomusicology from the Society for Ethnomusicology. The annual award recognizes scholars who “advance the understanding and scope of applied ethnomusicology and the goal of connecting ethnomusicology to the public arena.”
Rachel Weber has been named an Emily Bloomberg Professor at Harvard University, a prestigious endowed chair that supports scholars who are advancing the study and practice of city governance. At Harvard, Professor Weber is chair of the department of urban planning and design and director of the master’s degree program in urban planning. As a scholar, she explores how finance shapes the urban landscape by changing the ways cities budget, fund infrastructure, and manage their assets. Dr. Weber’s latest book is 
Susan Daniel was named the inaugural Lisa L. Walker 1986 Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Cornell University, where she serves as the William C. Hooey Director of the R.F. Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In her lab, Dr. Daniel leads a team of biomolecular engineers working to understand cell membrane functions and the biological processes that happen within them. Their research aims to develop advanced biotechnologies to improve human health. Alongside her scientific work, Dr. Daniel is currently leading a project to update her school’s undergraduate curriculum and completely overhaul how it is delivered.
Tarissa Spoonhunter is the inaugural Lilian and Christian Haub Professor at the University of Wyoming. The new professorship is designed to support early-career faculty members in the university’s Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. Dr. Spoonhunter teaches courses on contemporary issues facing tribal nations in resource management. She also directs the High Plains American Indian Research Institute and researches asserting treaty rights on traditional ceded lands, including Glacier National Park and Badger-Two Medicine.
Gözde Göncü-Berk has been named the inaugural Maria Manetti Shrem Endowed Chair in Design, Fashion, and Textiles and founding director of the Maria Manetti Shrem Institute for Sustainable Design, Fashion, and Textiles at the University of California, Davis. An associate professor of design, Dr. Göncü-Berk is the founding director of the university’s Wearlab, where she focuses on the development of soft wearable systems that sense, respond, and adapt to the body to enhance health, well-being, and performance. She has been a faculty member at the university since 2018.
Crystal Yang was named professor in the School of Public and International Affairs. She will join the faculty in September 2026. Since 2014, Professor Yang has taught at Harvard Law School, most recently as the Bennett Boskey Professor of Law. Her research interests include empirical law and economics, with a focus on racial bias in criminal justice and algorithmic fairness. Professor Yang holds bachelor’s degrees in statistics and economics, a Ph.D. in economics, and a juris doctorate, all from Harvard University.
Claire Bedbrook was named an assistant professor in the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. She will join the Princeton faculty in July 2026. Her research focuses on molecular tools for controlling and recording the brain using machine-learning-based protein engineering. Dr. Bedbrook, who specializes in neuroscience, bioengineering, genetics, and aging, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the California Institute of Technology.
Ewin Tang was appointed assistant professor of computer science. She will join the Princeton faculty in September 2026. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in quantum computing at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Tang specializes in quantum computing. Dr. Tang is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in mathematics and computer science. She holds a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Washington.
Following five months of service as interim co-president, Jennifer Glowienka has been officially named the twentieth president of Carroll College in Helena, Montana. Upon assuming her role on July 1, 2026, she will become the college’s first woman president in its 116-year history.
Following four months of interim service, Susan D. Stuebner has been officially named the 26th president of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.
Shari Veil has been named the next provost of North Dakota State University in Fargo, her doctoral alma mater. She will begin her new role on January 5.