Colleges and Universities Announce the Appointments of Six Women to Administrative Posts

Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres was named interim chief information officer at the University of Central Florida. She has been serving as dean of the Honors College at the university. She joined UCF in 2018 following her role as executive vice president for academic affairs and special initiatives and dean of faculty at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.

Dr. Piñeres received a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. She earned a master’s degree at the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in economics from Duke University.

Alexandra Daum will join Yale University in February as associate vice president for New Haven Affairs and University Properties. She is currently commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development. Earlier in her career, Daum founded and led Field Properties, a real estate investment firm in New Haven.

Daum is a graduate of Harvard University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Christian Mills was named director of the Quality Enhancement Plan at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to joining the Benedict family, Mills was a campus and community liaison with Our Money Matters from 2021 to 2023, where she managed their partnerships with HBCUs in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Mills received a bachelor’s degree in women and gender studies from the University of Delaware. She holds a master’s degree in special education from Wilmington University in Delaware.

Karen Vahey is the vice president for enrollment management at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York. Since 2014, she has served as dean of admissions and financial aid at the New York Institute of Technology. Before joining NYIT, Dr. Vahey served as interim director of enrollment management at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.

Dr. Vahey earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in education, administration, and supervision, from Fordham University in New York. She holds a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Sandra L. Barnes was named associate provost for undergraduate education and student success at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Most recently, Dr. Barnes served as vice president of the Natchez campus at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

Dr. Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Alcorn State University. She holds a Ph.D. in bioanalytical chemistry from the University of Kansas.

Patricia Caston has been promoted to director of sponsored and collaborative projects at Mississippi University for Women. She has been on the university’s staff for nearly two decades, most recently serving as executive assistant in the Office of Academic Affairs since 2016.

Caston holds a bachelor of arts degree from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.