Here is this week’s roundup of women faculty members who have been appointed to new positions in academia. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@WIAReport.com.
The appointments are Catherine Edmonds at North Carolina A&T State University, Brandy Barker at Eastern Michigan University, Sarah Bartlett at Georgia State University, LeNá Powe McDonald at the University of Alabama, and Nicole Harris at Syracuse University in New York.
Katherine Macfarlane of Syracuse University is chair of the Association of American Law Schools' section on Women in Legal Education and Tahira Probst was granted the title of Regents Professor at Washington State University. Karen Thole and Judy Schaechter are taking on leadership roles at Pennsylvania State University and the University of Vermont, respectively.
Dr. Bolles was a longtime professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Maryland. Trained as an anthropologist, she was known for her scholarship on the labor experiences of Caribbean women.
Dr. McCormick's award-winning book, The Last Door: A History of Torture in Mexico's War Against Subversives, examines how the Mexican government used torture to suppress dissent in the 1970s.
Avivia Abramovsky has been serving as a professor and dean of the University of Idaho College of Law. Before joining the University of Idaho faculty, she was dean of the University at Buffalo School of Law in New York.
Kecia Williams Smith was named dean of the College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University. Nicole Hand is the new dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at Murray State University in Kentucky and Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz was appointed interim dean of the Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University in New York.
Rose Cuison-Villazor, professor at Rutgers University Law School, and Lily Yan Hughes, assistant dean of the Syracuse University College of Law, are among this year's seven recipients of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's 2025 Trailblazer Award.
“Pace has a unique mission rooted in access, excellence, and opportunity, and that resonates deeply with me,” said Dr. Carr-Chellman. “I’m excited to bring my experience in academic innovation, collaborative leadership, and student-centered learning to a community so clearly dedicated to helping students excel and create lives they are proud of.”
Mridul Datta of Iowa State University, Sudha Rai of Syracuse University, and Hollie Raynor of the University of Tennessee are among this year's recipients of the 2025 Medallion Award from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The award honors outstanding participation, leadership, and devotion to others in the field and allied health professions.
A faculty member in the School of Business and Justice Studies for over a decade, Dr. Nesbitt currently serves as Utica's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. She is slated to become the university's next president on January 1.
The appointments are Heather Parsons at the University of Washington, Esther Duflo at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, JoAnna Leyenaar at Dartmouth College, Pam Taub at the University of California, San Diego, Liz Arnold at Syracuse University, and Mary Rose Papandrea at George Washington University.
