All Entries in the "Milestones" Category
Oceanographer, Eight Months Pregnant, Commands Ship Expedition From Shore
Melissa Omand, an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Oceanography of the University of Rhode Island, recently led an ocean expedition through “telepresence” technology from shore when she was eight months pregnant and unable to travel.
Defiance College in Ohio Selects Its First Woman President
This coming January, Richanne C. Mankey will become the first woman president in the 165-year history of Defiance College in Ohio. She has been serving as vice president for institutional advancement at Daemen College in Amherst, New York.
A Milestone Appointment for Women in Collegiate Athletics
Judy MacLeod, the former director of athletics at the University of Tulsa, was named commissioner of Conference USA. She is the first woman commissioner of a conference that fields teams from universities competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Football Bowl Subdivision.
Mary Way Bolt Named President of Cecil College in Maryland
Dr. Bolt She has been serving as interim president since November 2014. Previously, she was vice president for academic programs. She has served on the faculty and/or the administrative staff at the college since 1990. Dr. Bolt will be the college’s first woman president.
Auburn University Professor Emerita Is the New Leader of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Dr. Evelyn F. Crayton was a professor of nutrition dietetics, and hospitality management and assistant director of extension family and consumer sciences at Auburn University in Alabama. Dr. Crayton is the organization’s 90th leader and the first African American to hold the post.
Ardis Hoven Is the First Woman Chair of the World Medical Association
Dr. Hoven will serve a two-year term as head of the organization that represents 111 medical associations worldwide. She is a professor emerita at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine and past president of the American Medical Association.
Louise Richardson Will Be the First Woman to Lead Oxford University
Irish-born Louise Richardson, who earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in the United States, will become the first woman to lead the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The First Woman Chancellor of the Florida College System
Madeline M. Pumariega was appointed chancellor of the Florida College System. The system serves more than 800,000 students at 28 colleges throughout the state of Florida. When she takes office in September, she will be the first woman to hold the position.
Sandra Starnes to Be the First Woman President of the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association
Dr. Starnes holds the John B. Fledge Chair in the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. She also serves as co-director of the Comprehensive Lung Care Center at the university.
U.S. Educated Soonja Choe Is the New President of Inha University in Korea
Soonja Choe is the new president of Inha University in South Korea. She is the first woman president in the 61-year history of the university. Dr. Choe earned master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California.
Jennifer Chen to Be the Youngest Graduate of the Florida International University College of Medicine
Jennifer Chen never graduated from high school. After finishing ninth grade, she enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles at the age of 14. This spring, Chen will be youngest person to graduate from the medical school at Florida International University.
The First Woman to Lead the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets
Alyssa Marie Michalke of Schulenburg, Texas, will take over as Commander of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University at the end of the spring semester. She will be the first woman to the lead the Corps of Cadets its 139-year history.
The First Woman President of La Salle University in Philadelphia
Colleen M. Hanycz has been serving as head of Brescia University College, a women’s college in London, Ontario, that is affiliated with the Catholic Church. She had held this post since 2008.
Colleen Hanycz Is One of Two Candidates for the Presidency of La Salle University in Philadelphia
Colleen M. Hanycz is head of Brescia University College, a women’s college in London, Ontario, that is affiliated with the Catholic Church. She had held this post since 2008.
The First Woman President of the World Maritime University
Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry was named the seventh president of the World Maritime University in Malmo, Sweden. When she takes office in July, she will be the first woman and the first person from a developing country to lead the university.
For the First Time, a Larger Percentage of Women Hold a College Degree Than Men
In recent years women have been earning more college degrees than men. But it appears that now for the first time, for adults of all ages women are more likely than men to be college-educated.
Elizabeth Alexander Named to Yale’s First Endowed Professorship Dedicated Solely to Poetry
Elizabeth Alexander, who was selected to write a poem and read it at President Obama’s inauguration in 2009, has been a member of the faculty at Yale since 2000. She previously taught at the University of Chicago.
West Virginia University First-Year Student Elected to the State Legislature
Eighteen-year-old Saira Blair is a first-year student at West Virginia University. On Election Day she won the race for the West Virginia 59th House District. When she takes office, Blair will be the youngest state legislator in the nation.
Harvard Physicist Wins National Championship in 24-Hour Run
Associate professor Jenny Hoffman was crowned the national champion at USA Track and Field’s 24-Hour Run, held in Cleveland. Over a 24-hour-period, Dr. Hoffman ran more than 127 miles to capture the first place award.
New Information on the First American Woman to Earn a Ph.D. in Chemistry
Mark Griep, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Nebraska has spent the past 17 years trying to find out more information about Rachel Lloyd, who taught at the university for seven years from 1887 to 1894. He found what he was looking for in a time capsule in the cornerstone of a university building.
Cornell University’s First Woman President
Elizabeth Garrett is currently provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. When she takes office on July 1, 2015, she will become the first woman president of Cornell.
The First Woman President of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Soraya M. Coley was named as the next president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She now serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, Bakersfield.
Baylor University’s First Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering
A native of Arlington, Texas, Sarah Stair was awarded a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Baylor earlier this month. Her research has focused on using ultrasound to test carbon fiber composite materials that has practical applications in the aerospace industry.
The First Saudi Arabian Woman to Earn a Doctorate at the University of Hawaii
Hana Omar was recently awarded a doctorate from the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She earned a doctoral degree in educational technology. Dr. Omar has been selected for work in the diplomatic corps by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The First Woman to Win the Fields Medal
Maryam Mirzakhani, a professor of mathematics at Stanford University, is the first woman recipient of the Fields Medal, considered by many as the “Nobel Prize of Mathematics.” The award was established in 1936.
West Virginia University First-Year Student Is Also Running for a Seat in the State Legislature
Seventeen-year-old Saira Blair will matriculate at West Virginia University next month. During her first semester, she will also be campaigning for a seat in the West Virginia state legislature. If she wins in November, she will be the youngest person ever elected to the legislature.
The First Ph.D. in Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara
The feminist studies program at the University of California, Santa Barbara has about 80 undergraduate students, but Dr. Thompson is the first recipient of a degree from the doctoral program that was established five years ago. She will now be a postdoctoral fellow at Rice University.
The First Doctoral Recipient in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago
Dr. Rincon-Delgadillo is a graduate of the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she majored in chemical engineering. She worked for five years in the private sector before coming to the United States to pursue graduate study.
Jennifer Crewe Is the New President and Director of Columbia University Press
Jennifer Crewe, who has served on the staff at Columbia University Press for 30 years, most recently as interim director, was named president and director. She is the first woman director of a university press at an Ivy League institution.
University of Michigan’s Longest-Serving Faculty Member Announces Her Retirement
Dr. Marilyn Mason, now 88 years old, has taught organ music at the University of Michigan since 1947. Her 67 years on the faculty makes her the longest serving faculty member in the history of the University of Michigan.
The First Woman President of the University of Maine
Susan J. Hunter was named the next president of the University of Maine in Orono. Since September 2013, Dr. Hunter has served as vice chancellor for academic affairs for the seven campuses of the University of Maine System. Earlier, she was executive vice president for academic affairs at the Orono campus.
The First Afghan Woman to Graduate From Yale
Wazhma Sadat was five years old when the Taliban gained political control in Afghanistan. Her family fled to Pakistan so she and her sisters could continue to go to school. At age 8, Sadat began to weave carpets to help support her family.
The First Woman to Lead the Veterinary Medicine Program at Colorado State University
For the past seven years, Dr. Melinda Frye has been an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the university, teaching graduate-level courses in physiology. She began her career in human medicine as a registered nurse.
Arizona State University Official Is Confirmed as the First American Indian Woman Federal Judge
Diane Humetewa has been serving as special adviser to the president for American Indian affairs and a professor of practice in the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
The First Woman President of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina
Since 2008, Dr. Janes Fernandes has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She is the former provost at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. She will begin her new duties on July 1.
