Archive for 2020
Six Women Faculty Members Who Will Be Taking on New Assignments
Taking on new roles are Dava Newman at MIT, Aria S. Halliday at the University of Kentucky, Tiffany Murphy at the University of Arkansas School of Law, Beth Montelone of Kansas State University, Jennifer Duckworth at Washington State University, and Jennifer M. Granholm of the University of California, berkeley.
MIT’s Sara Seager Honored With One of Canada’s Highest Civilian Honors
Sara Seager, Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been named an officer of the Order of Canada. She was honored “for her multidisciplinary research that has contributed to transforming the study of extrasolar planets into a full-fledged planetary science.”
Four Women Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions at State Universities
Jackie Rees Ulmer will be the next dean of the College of Business at Ohio University and Amy Waer was appointed dean of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Robin Carter was named dean of College of Health and Human Services at Sacramento State University and Lynda Coon was appointed interim library dean at the University of Arkansas.
Berrin Tansel Wins the 2021 Science Award From the American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists
Berrin Tansel is a professor of environmental engineering and undergraduate program director in the department of civil and environmental engineering at Florida International University in Miami. She is being honored as an individual who demonstrates leadership, originality, and has innovative solutions to current environmental challenges.
College and Universities Announce the Appointments of Five Women to Administrative Positions
Taking on new administrative duties are Donna Wrublewski at the California Institute of Technology, Laquitha Bonds at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Wisconsin, Ellen Fisher at the University of New Mexico, Jana Blick at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and Rebecca Armstrong-English at Dillard University in New Orleans.
University of Nevada Scholar Honored by the National Council on Family Relations
Bridget Walsh, an associate professor of human development and family studies at the University of Nevada, Reno, received the Margaret Arcus Award, which honors the scholars and educators who work to move the field of family life education forward.
Three Women in STEM Fields Hired to Top Positions at Arizona State University
At Arizona State University, Donatella Danielli was named the director of the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Tijana Rajh was appointed the director of the School of Molecular Sciences and Patricia Rankin was named professor and chair of the department of physics.
A Trio of Women Who Have Been Hired to University Diversity Posts
The three women who have been appointed to new diversity positions at major universities are Nicoli Richardson at the University of Southern California, Roe Bubar, at Colorado State University, and Stephanie A. Roth at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. All three women hold juris doctorates.
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Samantha Meckes, 1980-2020
Dr. Meckles joined the faculty at Case Western Reserve University in 2007. She was promoted to associate professor in 2013 and to full professor in 2018. Professor Meckes was spending this academic year with the random matrix theory group at the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford in England.
Brenda Molife Selected to Lead Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Massachusetts
During her 19-year career at Bridgewater State Univerity in Massachusetts, Dr. Molife has served in a variety of roles. Most recently she has been serving as vice president of outreach and engagement. Dr. Molife will begin her leadership of Massasoit Community College on January 11.
The Year in Review: Notable Research on Women in Higher Education in 2020
Over the course of 2020, WIAReport has published a large number of posts highlighting research on women in higher education. In case readers missed some of these posts, here are links to some of the items published over the past year that related to research on women in higher education.
To Remain Open, Judson College in Alabama Has Achieved Its Fundraising Goal
On December 15, W. Mark Tew, president of Judson College, an educational institution for women in Marion, Alabama, that is affiliated with the Baptist Church, warned that the college would close if it did not raise $500,000 by the end of the year. By December 28, the college had raised $527,665.36.
Ranking the States by the Percentage of Women Among Their Doctoral Degree Recipients
There is a wide disparity between the states in the awarding of doctoral degrees to women. For example, in Alaska, women earned 61.9 percent of all doctorates awarded in 2019. In contrast, women earned only 30.4 percent of all doctorates in the state of South Dakota.
Catherine Paden Will Be the Next Provost at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire
Dr. Paden currently services as deputy provost at Simmons University in Boston. She joined Simmons in 2006 as an assistant professor in the department of political science and international relations. Dr. Paden was named dean of undergraduate programs in 2016 and continues in that role today.
Northwestern University Study Examines Men and Women’s Perceptions of the Ultra-Thin Body Type
The authors conclude that “men do not find the ultra-thin body ideal for women as attractive as women believe men do. These gender-based misconceptions may contribute to the negative effects of viewing ultra-thin media images on women’s body image.”
Rice University Scholar Chosen to Lead the Strategic Management Society
Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston, Texas, is the new president-elect of the Strategic Management Society. She will be president-elect for two years and then become president in 2023.
In Memoriam: Jacqueline E. Fuller Certion, 1972-2020
Jacqueline Certion was the assistant director of the Foundations for Academic Success Track, or FASTrack, in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi. In her position, Certion served as an adviser and mentor for thousands of students over the past 19 years.
Online Articles of Interest to WIAReport Readers
Each week, Women in Academia Report will provide links to online articles that may be of interest to our readers. Here are this week’s selections.
Recent Books of Interest to Women Scholars
Women in Academia Report regularly publishes a list of new books that may be of interest to our readers. Here are the latest selections.
In Memoriam: Leslie Altman Recoria, 1945-2020
Dr. Rescoria taught at the University of Pennsylvania and later was hired in 1985 as an assistant professor and advanced to an endowed full professorship at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. At Bryn Mawr, she served as chair of the psychology department.
Four Women Who Are Retiring From Their High-Level College and University Posts
The four women who are retiring are Mariko Kaga, Class of 1952 Professor of Asian Languages at Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota, Karla Broadus, director of the African American studies program at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Lisa Spargo, special projects coordinator at the University of Mississippi, and Trudy Hanson, professor of communication at West Texas A&M University.
In Memoriam: Nancy D. Harrington, 1939-2020
Dr. Harrington was appointed the 12th president of what was then Salem State College in 1990. She served as president for 17 years, paving the way for the school to transition to university status in 2010.
Five Women Faculty Members Who Have Been Given New Roles in Higher Education
Appointed to new positions are Shelley Liu at the University of California, Berkeley, Jazmine Wells at the University of Kentucky, Melissa E. Sanchez at the University of Pennsylvania, Alessandra Morello Gearhart at Oklahoma State University, and Cindy Bethel at Mississippi State University.
Camilla Townsend is the Winner of the $75,000 Cundill History Prize from McGill University
The award recognizes books that best embody historical scholarship, originality, literary quality, and broad appeal. Professor Townsend, a Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers University in New Jersey, was honored for her book Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs.
Five Women Scholars Appointed to University Dean Positions
The five women who have been named to dean positions are Rowena Ortiz-Walters at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Yvonne Gaudelius at Pennsylvania State University, Kristin Sosnowsky at Louisiana State University, Schnavia Smith Hatcher at the University of Alabama, and Mary Finn at Michigan State University.
Sabrina Cherry of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wins Peace Corps Award
The Franklin H. Williams Award recognizes ethnically diverse Peace Corps volunteers who have returned from their assignments and have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to civic engagement, service, diversity, inclusion, and world peace.
Colleges and Universities Announce the Appointment of Six Women to Administrative Positions
Taking on new administrative roles are Kristen Ford at Cornell University, Starsha Jamerson at Mississippi State University, Shanon Anderson at Oregon State University, Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Michelle Grimes-Hillman at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, and Karen Boton at the University of Arkansas.
New York University Scholar Wins Top Award in Occupational Therapy
Kristie Patten, an associate professor and vice dean for academic affairs at the Steinhardt School of New York University, is the recipient of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s prestigious Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lectureship Award. The award is considered the highest honor in the profession of occupational therapy.
Three Women Scholars Appointed to Endowed Professorships at Colleges and Universities
Emine Fetvaci was appointed to an endowed chair in Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College. Tanja Kral has been named to an endowed chair in nursing science at the University of Pennsylvania and Amanda Bayer was appointed to the Franklin and Betty Barr Chair in Economics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.
In Memoriam: Lyn K. Ragsdale, 1954-2020
Dr. Ragsdale’s prolific career in political science education began in 1983 when she joined the faculty at the University of Arizona. In 2006, she was named dean of social sciences at Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 2006.
Susan Poser Appointed President of Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York
Dr. Poser has, for the past five years, served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago. Previously, she was dean of the College of Law at the University of Nebraska.
The Large Gender Gap in Doctoral Awards in Specific Academic Disciplines
While women have generally closed the gender gap in doctoral degree awards, there are a number of specific disciplines where women continue to lag men in earned doctorates by a substantial margin. In many other fields, women earn more than three quarters of all doctorates awarded by universities in the United States.
Julia Jasken Appointed President of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland
Dr. Julia Jasken has been a professor of English at McDaniel College since 2003. For the past eight years, she has assumed increasing responsibility in administrative positions, most recently serving in her current role as the college’s executive vice president and provost.
Study Led by UCLA Faculty Finds Prenatal Stress of Mothers May Negatively Impact a Child’s Aging Process
The researchers found evidence that maternal stress during pregnancy adversely affects the length of a baby’s telomeres — the small pieces of DNA at the ends of chromosomes. Shortened telomeres have been linked to a higher risk of cancers, cardiovascular and other diseases, and earlier death.
The University of Louisville Names Its Next Provost
Dr. Lori Stewart Gonzalez currently serves as vice chancellor for academic, faculty, and student affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Before taking this position in 2015, Dr. Gonzalez served as senior advisor to the senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina General Administration.
