Author Archive for Editor
In Memoriam: Luz María Orozco y Aragón, 1933-2021
A native of Mexico City, Dr. Orozco was the daughter of a hydraulic engineer and a medical doctor. She came to the United States to pursue higher education to join the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in Davenport Iowa. She then taught at the now-closed Marycrest College.
New Assignments for Five Women Faculty Members at Universities
taking on new roles are Sandra Ryeom at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, Dana Franz at Mississippi State University, Melissa Bilec at the University of Pittsburgh, D’Jaris Coles-White at Western Michigan University, and Mary McKay at Washington University in St. Louis.
Cynthia Rudin Wins the $1 Million Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity
Cynthia Rudin, professor of computer science and electrical and computer engineering at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, was won the $1 million Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Founded in 1979, AAAI serves as the prominent international scientific society serving […]
A Quartet of Women Who Have Been Named to Dean Positions at Universities
Lis Pankl was appointed dean of libraries at Mississippi State University and Arlene J. Montgomery is the new interim dean of nursing at Hampton University. Eileen Hogan is the new interim dean of business at New Mexico State University and Kimberly Moorehead is dean of the University College at Dillard University in New Orleans.
The American Academy of Nursing Honors Antonia Villarruel of the University of Pennsylvania
Antonia Villarruel, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2021 Health Care Leader Award, which recognizes an influential national leader dedicated to improving the health of the nation.
Universities Announce the Appointments of Ten Women to Administrative Positions
Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
M. Geneva Murray Received the Coalition Builder Award From the National Women’s Studies Association
Dr. Murray has been the director of the Women’s Center at Ohio University since 2015. Earlier, she was the director of the Women’s Center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Four Women Appointed to Endowed Chairs at Vassar College
The four women appointed to endowed chairs at Vassar College are Eve Dunbar, a professor of English, Shona Tucker, professor and chair of the drama department, Myra Hughey, an assistant professor of biology, and Michele Tugade, a professor of psychological sciences.
Gender Differences in Test Scores on the ACT College Entrance Examination
For the high school Class of 2021, the average score for women who took the ACT college entrance examination was 20.6. For men, the average score was 20.3. Women had higher scores than men in reading and English, but men had slightly higher scores than women in mathematics and science.
Vanderbilt University’s Cynthia Reinhart-King Will Lead the Biomedical Engineering Society
Professor Reinhart-King, the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, is a cellular bioengineer whose seminal work on extracellular matrices has contributed to a breakthrough in understanding tumor formation. The citations of her cellular bioengineering research number in the thousands.
Women’s Enrollments in Graduate School Held Steady After the Onset of the Pandemic
New data from the Council on Graduate Schools women shows women were only 29.3 percent of all first-time graduate students in engineering. Women were 33.6 percent of all first-time graduate students in mathematics and computer science, down from 34.6 percent in 2019.
The New Provost at Fort Valley State University in Georgia
Dr. Fontenot has been with the university since 2019, serving first as interim chief of staff and more recently as interim provost. Before coming to Fort Valley State University, Dr. Fontenot served as the interim regional vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg.
Study Shows How Evaluators’ Gender Biases Can Be Reduced
In ratings on Yelp, women restaurant servers were more likely than men to receive just one star in approval ratings and were less likely than men to get the highest five-star rating. But the authors found that among Yelp reviewers who had received an “Elite” designation, the gender gap in their reviews became smaller.
Pamela Cipriano of the University of Virginia Is the New President of the International Council of Nurses
The International Council of Nurses is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations, representing more than 27 million nurses worldwide. Founded in 1899, ICN is the world’s first and widest reaching international organization for health professionals.
In Memoriam: Elizabeth Tam
Professor Tam was the second Native Hawaiian chair of the department of medicine at the University of Hawai’i and served in that position for 15 years. She also held the American Lung Association of Hawaii and Leahi Fund Endowed Chair in Respiratory Health at 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.
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.
Five Women Faculty Members Who Have Been Appointed to New Positions
Taking on new assignments are Neva Specht at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, Kimberly Mayfield at Holy Names University in Oakland, California, Katja Guenther at Princeton University, Castel V. Sweet at the University of Mississippi, and Stephanie Rachel Speer at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.
In Memoriam: Edra Charlotte Bogle, 1934-2021
Dr. Bogle began her career in the academic world as a librarian at what is now Western Oregon University. Dr. Bogle joined the English department faculty at the University of North Texas in 1968 and continued to teach there until 2004.
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.
In Memoriam: Marjorie Fine Knowles, 1939-2021
In 1972, Majorie Knowles became the first women faculty member at the University of Alabama School of Law. Professor Knowles became dean of the College of Law at Georgia State University in 1986, making her the 17th woman in U.S. history – and the first woman in Georgia – to serve as dean of a law school.
Four Women Who Have Been Named Deans at Colleges and Universities
Renee Y. Chow, was named dean of the College Environmental Design at Berkeley and Marla Love is the new dean of students at Cornell University. Kathryn Kay Coquemont will be the next dean of students at Macalester College in Minnesota, and Xuemei May Cheng is the new dean of graduate studies at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania..
Karen Tei Yamashita to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award From the National Book Foundation
Professor Yamashita is the author of eight books and numerous plays. She currently serves as professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she has taught literature and creative writing since 1997.
Five Women Join the Faculty at the Arizona State University College of Nursing
The Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation at Arizona State University has added five women to its faculty: DeAnnah Byrd, Hannah Giasson, Rachel Koffer, Alyssa Robillard, and Fiorella Carlos Chavez.
Society for Science Honors Colorado State University’s Atmospheric Scientist Emily Fischer
An atmospheric chemist, Dr. Fischer uses field-based and applied modeling approaches to investigate the sources of atmospheric trace gases. Her work aims to improve the understanding of the role of climate in determining the atmosphere’s self-cleansing capacity.
Nine Women Who Have Been Appointed to New Administrative Positions in Higher Education
Here is this week’s roundup of women who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
University of Pennsylvania to Name Its New Data Science Building to Honor Amy Gutmann
Amy Gutmann is the longest-serving president in the university’s history. She became president in 2004 after serving as provost at Princeton University. She has been nominated by President Biden to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Germany.
Four Women Who Have Been Appointed to Endowed Positions in Higher Education
The four women scholars appointed to endowed posts at colleges and universities are Rola El-Serag at Rice University in Houston, Catherine Peters at Princeton University in New Jersey, Thelma Hurd at the University of California, Merced, and Valerie Barr at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.
Rebecca Blank Will Be the First Woman to Serve as President of Northwestern University
Dr. Blank became chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013. An internationally renowned economist, Dr. Blank is a well-known researcher on poverty and the low-income labor market and has served as an economics expert in three presidential administrations.
Evidence That Women’s Scholarly Production Was Slowed More Than Men During the Early Pandemic
The analysis of more than 63,000 manuscripts submitted to 11 leading biomedical journals found that prior to the pandemic women were 46 percent of first authors on papers submitted to these journals. Women were 37.1 percent of first authors for COVID-related manuscripts during the pandemic but only 29.4 percent of the authors during the initial six months of the global crisis.
Shelley Lowe of Harvard University Selected to Lead the National Endowment for the Humanities
Lowe is the executive director of the Native American program at Harvard University. If confirmed by the Senate, she will be the first Native American and the second woman to lead the federal agency that provides more than $100 million in grants to cultural and educational institutions each year.
The Lack of Gender Diversity in Climate Change Research
Several recent studies have shown that women are only a small percentage of the leading researchers in climate change, according to the number of published research appears and citations of published scholarly work.
Women Archaeologists Negatively Impacted by the Pandemic More Than Their Male Peers
A new study led by Julie Hoggarth, an associate professor of anthropology at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, surveyed a large group of professional archaeologists on their experiences of job loss; economic, workload, research and training impacts; and changes in personal responsibilities after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two Women Who Have Been Appointed to Positions as College Provosts
Jan Roberts-Breslin, dean of graduate and professional studies, will take up the role of interim provost and vice president of academic affairs at Emerson College in Boston and Damara Hightower Mitchell was promoted to provost and vice president for academic affairs at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina.
In Memoriam: Jo Watts Williams, 1929-2021
Jo Watts Williams enrolled at what was then Elon College in North Carolina in 1945. She maintained a relationship with the university for more than 75 years, She served as a professor, associate dean of academic affairs, director of development, and special assistant to the president.
