Archive for 2020
Four Women Scholars Appointed to Endowed Positions at Major Universities
Newly appointed to endowed pots are Celeste M. Nelon at Princeton University in New Jersey, Suzanne Bliven Shu at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Karen Lin at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadephia, and Anne-Marie Deitering t Oregon State University.
Three Women Faculty Members Named President’s Professors at Arizona State University
The three women appointed President’s Professors are Heather Bimonte-Nelson, a professor in behavioral neuroscience in the department of psychology, Eileen Díaz McConnell, a professor in the School of Transborder Studies, and Cynthia Lietz, a professor in the School of Social Work.
How Well Do the Nation’s Women’s Colleges Succeed in Graduating Their Students?
Nationwide, at large colleges and universities, about 70 percent of all women who enter college graduate within six years from the same institution at which they initially enrolled. At many women’s colleges, students do even better. At Barnard College, Wellesley College, and Scripps College, the graduation rate is over 90 percent.
Montserrat Fuentes Will Be the Next President of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas
Dr. Fuentes has been serving as professor of statistics and executive vice president and provost at the University of Iowa. Earlier, she served on the faculty at North Carolina State University and was dean of Humanities and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The Gender Gap in Educational Attainment Among Household Heads
New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that for households headed by a single man, 22.7 percent of the householders were college graduates. For households headed by a single woman, 25.1 percent of the householders were college educated. Some 44 percent of married-couple families had a college-educated householder.
Arizona State University Appoints Nancy Gonzalez as Its Next Provost
Dr. Gonzalez joined the faculty at Arizona State University in 1992 as an assistant professor in psychology. She moved up through both the academic and administrative ranks, most recently serving as dean of natural sciences and Foundation Professor of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The Impact of Education and Gender on Tobacco Use by American Adults
In 2019, only 15.7 percent of adult women used tobacco products compared to 26.2 percent of men. Some 12.7 percent of women smoked cigarettes compared to 15.3 percent of men. Men were more than 15 times as likely as women to use smokeless tobacco products.
Shannon Jesme to Lead Northland Community and Technical College in Minnesota
Dr. Jesme has worked at Northland Community and Technical College since 2008. From 2010 to 2015, she was director of finance and chief financial officer. In 2015 she was promoted to vice president of administrative services/CFO.
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Jane McCormack, 1922-2020
Elizabeth J. McCormack served as president of Manhattanville College in Harrison, New York, from 1966 to 1974. During her tenure, she led the transformation of Manhattanville from an elite Catholic women’s institution to a non-denominational, co-educational center of higher education.
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.
In Memoriam: Nancy Russell Hamant, 1935-2020
Dr. Hamat spent more than 40 years on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati. She served as the university’s NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative from 1986 to her retirement in 2007.
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.
Three Women Earn Engineering Doctorates at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
For the first time in its history, the School of Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham has awarded doctorates to three women students in the same term. The women, Sandra Cutts, Jaquice Boyd, and Ashlyn Manzella, all received their doctoral degrees in civil engineering.
In Memoriam: Millie Ruth McClelland Charles, 1923-2020
Millie Charles was the founder of the School of Social Work at Southern University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She served on the faculty at the university for 40 years.
New Assignments in Higher Education for Six Women Faculty Members
Taking on new assignments are Miriam Felton-Dansky at Bard College in New York, Kyna Shelley at the University of Southern Mississippi, Anita Hazelwood at the University of Louisiana Lafayette, Matilde Bombardini at the University of California Berkeley, Filiz Garip at Princeton University, and Ke Dong at Duke University.
Four Universities Announce the Appointment of Women to Dean Positions
The new deans are Ariela Sofer at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, Shaily Menon at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, Soyica Colbert at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Usha Menon at the University of South Florida.
Mississippi State University Scholar Wins Her Second Pushcart Prize in Poetry
Catherine Pierce, a professor of English and co-director of the creative writing program at Mississippi State University, has received her second Pushcart Prize. Professor Pierce was honored for her poem “Entreaty.” Dr. Pierce also received a 2018 Pushcart Prize for her poem “I Kept Getting Books about Birds.”
Six Women Who Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Posts in Higher Education
Takin on new administrative duties are Karen Craddock at Brown University in Rhode Island, Crate Herbert at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Sara Thorndike at Pennsylvania State University, Julia Yager at Smith College in Massachusetts,. Cathy Light at Caltech, and Emilly Borthwick-Wong at the University of Nevada, Reno.
University of Colorado’s Diane Conlin Honored by the Archaeological Institute of America
Dr. Conlin, who joined the faculty at the University of Colorado in 1998, has taught both in classics and art and art history and specializes in the art, architecture and archaeology of ancient Rome. She was honored with the 2021 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Four Women Named to Endowed Professorships at Prestigious Colleges and Universities
The four women appointed to endowed professorships are Susannah Ottaway at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, Robin R. Means Coleman at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Lynn Meskell at the University of Pennsylvania, and Whitney Pirtle at the University of California, Merced.
Cathryn Halverson Wins Book Award From the Western Literature Association
In conducting research for her first two books, Dr. Halverson of Minot State University in North Dakota found that many women writers in the American West had published in the Atlantic Monthly. So she decided to examine this connection in detail for her third book.
Three Women Appointed to Diversity Positions at Colleges and Universities
The three women who have been appointed to serve as diversity officers are Linda Strong-Leek at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, Enobong “Anna” Branch at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and Shaniqua Crawford at the University of Oklahoma.
Which Sports Do the Best in Graduating Their Women Student Athletes?
The highest graduation rate for women’s sports was for fencing, where 87 percent of women athletes earned their degree. The graduation rates for women athletes in gymnastics, ice hockey, rowing, lacrosse, skiing, swimming, and water polo were over 80 percent.
Cloud County Community College Names Amber Knoettgen as Its Ninth President
Knoettgen has been serving as interim president since May. She came to Cloud County Community College in July 2016 as the director of advisement and retention. In November 2017, Knoettgen was named vice president for administrative services.
Survey Finds Women Are Making Progress in Enrollments at High-Ranking Business Schools
The website Poets & Quants recently released its survey of women at the nation’s highest-ranked business schools. it found that that women made up 49 percent of the students in the entering class at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. This was the largest percentage of women among the top business schools.
Elizabeth Watkins Will Be the Next Provost at the University of California, Riverside
Dr. Watkins currently serves as vice chancellor, dean of the Graduate Division, and professor in the department of anthropology, history, and social medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the author or co-editor of five books.
University of Illinois Study Finds Rise in Non-Virus-Related Death Rates for Women in Early Months of the Pandemic
The authors found that death rates for 17 of 18 cohorts of age and gender groups were higher than was the case in the same months of 2019. The only age and gender group that showed a decline in death rates was for girls ages 5 to 14.
The New Chancellor of the Anderson Campus of Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana
Before being named interim chancellor of the Anderson campus this past summer, Dr. Anderson was vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Muncie campus of Ivy Tech. She has been with Ivy Tech for more than 12 years.
In Memoriam: Mary Levi Smith, 1936-2020
Dr. Mary L. Smith served as the eleventh president of Kentucky State University from 1991 to 1998. She was the first woman to serve as university president.
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.
The University of Chicago Honors Its Former President, Hanna Holborn Gray
The University of Chicago will rename the Special Collections Research Center — the principal steward of the Library’s rare books, manuscripts, and the University Archives — in honor of Hanna Holborn Gray, the Harry Pratt Judson Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History and President Emeritus of the University.
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.
Three Women Announce They Are Stepping Down From High-Level University Positions
Beth E. Foley, dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University, Adrienne D. Davis, vice provost for faculty affairs and diversity at Washington Univerity in St. Louis, and Lisa A. Tedesco, dean of the Laney Graduate School at Emory Univerity, are stepping down from their administrative posts.
Grants or Gifts Relating to Women in Higher Education
Here is this week’s news of grants and gifts that may be of particular interest to women in higher education.
Five Women Scholars Who Have Been Assigned to New Positions in Academia
Taking on new roles are Suzy Hansen at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, Sidney Edwards at the University of Louisville, Laurel Fulkerson at Florida State University, Franciska Coleman at the Univerity of Wisconsin Law School, and Ayanna Thompson at Arizona State University.
