Smith College has considered transgender women for admission to its undergraduate programs since 2015. Now, the U.S. Department of Education has opened an investigation into the women's college, claiming the liberal arts institution has violated Title IX "by allowing biological males into women's intimate spaces."

The Bass Society of Fellows was established at Duke University in North Carolina in 1996 through a $10 million donation from Anne T. and Robert Bass. Fellows hold a named professorship for five years and retain lifetime membership in the society.

Laurel Smith-Doerr is a Provost Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Lindsey Welch was promoted to full professor at Cedar Crest College, and Liza Stepanova joined the faculty of the University of Cincinnati. Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi of Purdue University and Jennifer Olmsted of Wayne State University have been promoted to head of their departments.

The prize-winners are Harvard's Jill Lepore in history, Princeton's Yiyun Li in memoir or autobiography, and Northeastern's Juliana Spahr in poetry.

The new deans are Veena Misra at North Carolina State University, Susan Davies at Tulane University, Angela Johnson at Dillard University, Marci Maple at Bemidji State University, Molly McGehee at Emory University, Erin White at Fayetteville State University, and Sarah Westberg at Bethel University.

Professor Painter has been awarded for her distinguished scholarship in American history. Currently a professor emerita at Princeton University, she has authored nine books throughout her career.

Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States. If you have news for our appointments section, please email the information to contact@WIAReport.com.

Professor Steffens has taught business and financial journalism at the University of Missouri since 2002. She was recently honored by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing for her outstanding career.

The appointments are Aviva Abosch at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute, a clinical partner of Florida International University, Margarita Guillory at Boston University, and Karen Thole at Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Scarlatta has led the University of Michigan-Dearbon on an interim basis for the past year. Pending approval from the board of regents, she is slated to become the university's permanent leader on May 22.

Although women represent less than half of the American workforce, they represent more than eight in 10 workers in the most AI-vulnerable occupations.

Nicole Reaves has been serving as executive vice president and chief programs officer at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina. On July 15, she is slated to become the first woman president of Schenectady County Community College within the State University of New York System.