Public Institution

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has appointed Dr. Rodney D. Bennett as Chancellor beginning July 1, 2023. Dr. Bennett most recently served as President of the University of Southern Mississippi, a comprehensive public research institution that enrolls 14,000 students across multiple campuses. As President from 2013 to 2022, Dr. Bennett brought Southern Miss into the top tier of research institutions, delivered improved student outcomes, invested in faculty and high-growth academic programs, and stabilized the budget through fiscally conservative management. Prior to his role at Southern Miss, Dr. Bennett held various leadership roles at the University of Georgia, Winthrop University and his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University. Dr. Bennett holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Tennessee State University in Nashville and specialist, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Read more.

The University of the District of Columbia has appointed Dr. Twinette L. Johnson as Dean of the David A. Clarke School of Law. She has served in the role in an interim capacity since August 2022. Previously, Dr. Johnson served the School of Law as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and as Director of Academic Success. Prior to UDC, she held leadership and faculty positions at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and at Saint Louis University School of Law. Dr. Johnson earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy at Saint Louis University, a J.D. at Tulane University Law School, and a B.A. in English Literature at Saint Louis University.

University of Maryland has appointed Juan (“Jay”) Rosselló as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel effective August 1, 2023. Mr. Rosselló currently is the Chief Legal Officer for The University of Texas at San Antonio (“UTSA”), where he has served since 2019. Prior to joining UTSA, he served as General Counsel & Secretary for The InfiLaw System, a consortium of ABA-accredited law schools, and as Director of Legal Affairs and Enterprise Risk, Ethics & Compliance for the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Earlier, Mr. Rosselló served as  Associate General Counsel at West Virginia University. He also has private practice experience as a Partner with Hogan Marren Babbo & Rose, Ltd, a Chicago-based law national law firm serving regulated industries. Mr. Rosselló obtained his BA from Yale University, his JD from the Georgetown University Law Center, and his MBA from Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Management. Read more here.

University of Wisconsin System has appointed Dr. Monica Smith as Associate Vice President for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging effective 6/12/23. Dr. Smith joins the UW System’s staff with a breadth of experience in diversity in higher education, most recently serving as the first Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Augustana College since 2018. Previous positions include the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Elizabethtown College and Director of Inclusion and Diversity at Saint Joseph's University. Dr. Smith is an experienced senior leader with a broad background incorporating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) throughout institutions to create cultures of inclusion and increase a sense of belonging for all students. Dr. Smith holds a DSW and MSW in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS in social work from Eastern College (now University).

The City Colleges of Chicago has appointed Dr. Katonja Webb-Walker as President of Kennedy-King College. She has served in the role in an interim capacity since July 2022. Previously, Dr. Webb-Walker was Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College. She also earlier served as a Kennedy-King College administrator from 2009 to 2012, including roles as Interim Vice President and Dean of Continuing Education. Dr. Webb-Walker earned an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, an M.Ed. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from Boston University, and an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University.

Indiana University-Bloomington (IUB) has appointed Dr. Grace Sembajwe as a Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) within the School of Public Health.  She will begin on August 1st. Dr. Sembajwe currently holds academic appointments at the rank of Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research; the Department of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology, and Prevention at Northwell Health; and the Department of Molecular Medicine and Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology, and Prevention at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University.  She also holds an appointment as Affiliated Investigator at the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Public Health.  She has authored nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications and has presented nationally and internationally on her scholarship. Dr. Sembajwe received a B.A. in Natural Science from Goshen College, an M.S. in Industrial Hygiene from Central Missouri State University, and an Sc.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
 

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has appointed Dr. Dawn Crim as its new Vice Chancellor of Inclusivity and Community Engagement. Dr. Crim will begin on August 9, 2023. Dr. Crim currently serves as a Consultant for Equity, Inclusion, and Employee Well-Being at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a Consultant for UW-Madison, Crim provides high-level consultation to schools, colleges, and divisions across campus to support and improve campus climate. Crim also coaches and advises leaders on building organizational capacity and navigating change; as well as supporting the creation and sustainability of healthy, equitable, and inclusive policies, systems, and environments campus wide. Dr. Crim earned her M. ED. In Counselor Education from Pennsylvania State University and her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more here.

The University of Louisville has appointed Brent Pieper, Ed.D., as Vice President for University Advancement. Dr. Pieper currently serves as Associate Vice President for Philanthropy at the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining UK, he served as Assistant Vice President and Director of Campaign Operations at Cleveland State University. He has also held major gifts and campaign leadership positions at Indiana University and Ohio University. Dr. Pieper received his Ed.D. and his B.A. from Indiana University, Bloomington and his M.P.A. from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. He is currently in the process of publishing a book on higher education fundraising in partnership with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Read more here. 

Dr. J. Luke Wood has been appointed as the new president of California State University, Sacramento. He will begin his role on July 16, 2023. Dr. Wood joined San Diego State University (SDSU)  in 2011 as a professor and in 2012 was named co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab, a research and practice center focused on reducing equity gaps between students of color and their peers. In 2017, he became the first Black faculty member to be named Distinguished Professor.  He has served as SDSU’s chief diversity officer since 2018 and as vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity since 2020. In 2023, Dr. Wood was appointed by the California State Senate to serve on the newly established California Racial Equity Commission. Dr. Wood earned his bachelor's and master's degree from Sacramento State, and also holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Arizona State University.  Read more here.

Dr. Stephen Perez has been appointed as the new president of California State University, Chico (Chico State). He will begin his role on July 1, 2023. Dr. Perez has spent most of his 30-year career in higher education with the CSU system, having served in academic and administrative roles at Sacramento State, including professor, department chair, interim dean, vice provost, and provost. In January 2022, Perez was appointed interim president at San José State. Dr. Perez has served as Chico State’s interim provost since January 2023, during which time he has led the university’s enrollment continuum effort and helped close a $20 million budget gap. Dr. Perez received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego and his master’s and doctorate in economics from the University of California, Davis. Read more here.