Public Institution

Dr. Abby Parrill-Baker has been appointed as the new Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at University of Michigan-Flint effective June 1, 2025. Dr. Parrill-Baker currently serves as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis, a position she has held since 2019, with a brief interlude as Interim Provost. In this role, she has supported the development of an expanded number of pathways for students into professional schools, secured more than $5 million in funding to support experiential learning fellowships, and led college-based initiatives that contributed to the university earning classification as a Carnegie Very High Research (R1) institution. Her academic and administrative career spans over two decades, during which she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in strategic planning, budget management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her research expertise in computational and medicinal chemistry has resulted in numerous publications and patents, underscoring her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and educational excellence. Dr. Parrill-Baker holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Central Michigan University. Read more.

Dr. Christopher Trombly has been appointed as the new Dean, College of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Trombly most recently served as the Interim Dean, College of Education for Southern Connecticut State University and will continue on with his current duties. Prior to joining Southern's Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (in August 2018), Christopher had served for five years on the faculty – and, for part of that time, as department chair – of Arkansas Tech University’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Before teaching at the university level, Christopher had served in PreK-12 for a total of sixteen years – three years as a school counselor, four years as assistant principal, and nine years as principal – all in Duxbury, Massachusetts. A proud alumnus of VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), Christopher is a committed advocate for policies that promote the wellbeing of children and their families. He serves on the board of directors of Connecticut CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), an organization that serves children in the state's foster system.

Dr. Richard Sévère has been appointed as the new Dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) at Purdue University Northwest. He will begin his new role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Sévère is currently Associate Dean of the College Arts and Sciences at Valparaiso University, where he previously served as Chair of the Department of English and Acting Chair of the Department of Kinesiology. His accomplishments include oversight and leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences' 17 departments, management of the college's budget, and growth of research opportunities for faculty members in the college. He also previously held administrative roles at Centenary University, where he served as founding director of the Centenary Writing Collaboratory and founding director for the Centenary Scholars Program. Dr. Sévère earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in English Literature Education, both from Florida A&M University, and his Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Purdue University. Read more.

Dr. Jennifer Ng has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty & Vice President for Faculty Affairs at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Ng will begin her new role on June 1, 2025. Dr. Ng’s extensive background in higher education includes 21 years at the University of Kansas, serving as professor and chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as associate vice provost for faculty development and mentoring. She has also been a certified coach through the Faculty Success Program at the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and she is currently the inaugural associate director for faculty development for the University Council for Educational Administration. Read more.

Mr. Scott Molander has been appointed as the new President at Dickinson State University (DSU). He will assume his new role as DSU President on July 1, 2025. Mr. Molander is currently Managing Partner of Garage Living & SKINS Compression and an Adjunct Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. In 2006, he was a recipient of the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year Award, and he currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of the DSU Heritage Foundation. He earned an A.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota-Williston, a B.S. in Business Administration from Dickinson State University, and an M.B.A. from Indiana State University. Read more.

Dr. L. Beril Toktay has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Toktay will begin her duties on April 1. Dr. Toktay began at the Georgia Institute of Technology as a Visiting Associate Professor in 2004 and has held a number of faculty and administrative roles over the past 20 years.  She is currently the Brady Family Chair in Management and Regents' Professor in the Scheller College of Business and she is the founding Faculty Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business.  She has published extensively on the topics of sustainable operations and supply chain management and she became a Distinguished Fellow of the Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (MSOM) Society in 2017. Dr. Toktay holds B.S. degrees in mathematics and industrial engineering from Bogazici University (Istanbul), an M.S. in industrial engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Anthony Graham has been appointed as the new Chancellor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). He is expected to begin his new role as UAPB Chancellor on July 1, 2025. Dr. Graham is the former Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Winston-Salem State University, where he also served as Interim Chancellor from 2023 to 2024. He previously served as Dean of the College of Education and Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina A&T State University. Prior to his work in higher education, Dr. Graham was a high school English teacher. He has served as the managing editor of the historic peer-review academic journal The Negro Educational Review, and has collaborated with educators and scholars to create initiatives that increase the number of classroom teachers, especially ethnic and racial minority teachers, who enter the teaching profession in under-resourced and hard-to-staff rural and urban schools. Dr. Graham earned a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Read more.

Mr. Jim Muyo has been appointed as the new Director of Development Communications and Donor Relations at San Francisco State University. Mr. Muyo will begin his position on March 24th. Mr. Muyo comes to SFSU from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where he served as the Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives. Prior to Stanford, Mr. Muyo was the Director of Communications and Marketing at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School. Mr. Muyo holds a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University and an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Robert Blaine III has been appointed as the new President at University of The Bahamas, effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Blaine currently serves as the Senior Executive and Director of the Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement and Development (LEAD) and the Center for Municipal Practice for the National League of Cities, based in Washington D.C. He brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, economic development and SACSCOC accreditation. In advancing academic excellence, he has been the driving force behind initiatives that expand access to quality education and forge meaningful partnerships with local and global communities. Dr. Blaine holds a DMA - Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, a Masters in Music - Performance from The Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Music – Performance from Indiana University. Read more.

Dr. Robert Scott has been appointed as the new president at Albany State University (ASU), effective May 1, 2025. Dr. Scott, who holds a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, will return to higher education after almost two decades working in the private sector. He is currently the president of research and development at The Kraft Heinz Co. Dr. Scott has also served in executive roles at Abbott Nutrition and The Coca-Cola Co. He spent his early career teaching and serving as an administrator at Boston College, Spelman College and Norfolk State University. Born in New Jersey and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, Dr. Scott was the first in his family to attend college. He attended Norfolk State University, a historically Black university in Norfolk, Virginia, as a DNIMAS Scholar. The DNIMAS Scholar program, created through a generous gift to the university, addresses the severe shortage of minority scientists in the workforce by attracting and producing undergraduates who can complete graduate degrees in STEM. After earning a biology degree from Norfolk State, he then entered the graduate program at Georgia Tech, with a research focus in cell and molecular biology, and became the first DNIMAS Scholar to receive a Ph.D. After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Scott became a biology professor at Norfolk State. He later served as an associate dean at both Boston College and Spelman College. In these roles, he gained leadership experience, oversaw curriculum development, secured research funding and mentored future leaders, all while prioritizing student success. Read more.