Kent State University has appointed Dr. Melody Tankersley as its new Senior VIce President and Provost, effective on November 1st, 2020. An experienced leader, Dr. Tankersley has served Kent State in positions of increasing responsibility since 1993. Dr. Tankersley is one of the nation’s leading scholars in her field of special education and is an accomplished administrator. Since being named interim senior vice president and provost in 2019, she has excelled in many areas, particularly in her handling of the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Tankersley earned her bachelor’s and master's degrees in special education from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina and her doctorate degree in special education from the University of Virginia. Read more here.
The University of Alaska Foundation has named Dr. Tod A. Burnett as president of the University of Alaska Foundation and chief development officer of the University of Alaska. Dr. Burnett, previously the executive vice chancellor for advancement at Brandman University, Irvine, CA, has extensive experience in higher education philanthropy and non-profit leadership. He will begin his presidency on November 8, 2020. Dr. Burnett has extensive private business experience, has served on a number of public and private boards and commissions and has been recognized by more than 75 public officials and organizations for his contributions to community and social causes. Dr. Burnett earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of California, Riverside, a master’s degree in management/finance from University of Southern California and a doctorate in education and psychology from Pepperdine University. Read more here.
Old Dominion University has announced the appointment of Dr. Benjamin Stuart as Dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology. Dr. Stuart has been serving as Acting Dean for the past 16 months. Under his leadership, while facing the challenges of the pandemic, the College continued to build its research enterprise and revamped its academic programs to best serve the needs of all students. Dr. Stuart has been with the College for five years. Prior to his tenure at ODU, he spent 10 years at Ohio University. His current research focuses on biofuels/bioproducts production through the thermochemical processing of biomass. He has led or co-led more than $26 million worth of research projects funded by federal, state and industrial partners and is the author or co-author of 50 refereed/reviewed publications. Dr. Stuart holds a Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Read more here.
Salem Academy and College has announced the appointment of Dr. Janice Harring-Hendon as Interim Associate Vice President of Admissions.
Clarkson University has appointed Dr. Lennart D. Johns as founding dean of its Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences. In his role as Director of General Education for Quinnipiac University, he oversaw the development of a first-year seminar and a senior-level integrative capstone experience. The primary focus of his academic research has been centered on autoimmunity and injury repair. Dr. Johns has an undergraduate degree from Lock Haven University, a master of science degree in biology from Bucknell University, and a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Vermont. He has held many previous positions in his career and served 18 years in academic leadership roles. Johns will officially begin his new position on January 1, 2021. Read more here.
St. Joseph’s College of New York has appointed Dr. Eileen White Jahn as the new executive Dean of its Long Island Campus. Dr. Jahn previously served as Interim Executive Dean, and has been on the faculty of the College since 1998. She has taught on both campuses in graduate and undergraduate courses, and in Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies. She earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Policy Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center, her MBA from NYU and her BA from SUNY Binghamton. Read more here.
St. Joseph’s College of New York has appointed Dr. Phillip Dehne as the new Executive Dean of its Brooklyn Campus. Dr. Dehn previously served as Associate Chair of the History Department, coordinator of the 100 Freshman Seminar program and teaches courses on British, European, and Global History. Dr Dehne is the author of several books, most recently After the Great War: Economic Warfare and the Promise of Peace in Paris 1919 (Bloomsbury, 2019). Read more here.
Johnson C. Smith University has appointed Erna D. Perkins Jones as Director of Facilities. Perkins Jones comes to JCSU from Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont in Charlotte. She assumed her role at JCSU on July 14. Ms. Perkins Jones earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Design from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Science degree in City and Regional Planning from Morgan State University and is currently pursuing Certified Facility Manager® (CFM) credentials. She is a member of the Charlotte Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte volunteer. Read more here.