>>
Dr. Ronald Johnson (EdD, 2023) has been named the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
As Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Johnson will join the university’s executive leadership team and advise the president on administrative processes, special projects, and strategic initiatives that benefit the campus community.
Johnson assumed these duties on June 1, 2024.
In May 2023, the Huntingdon College Board of Trustees named Dr. Anthony Leigh (EdD, 2019) as the college’s 15th President. Leigh’s tenure as president will begin on July 1, 2024.
Leigh has been a member of the Huntingdon College administration since 2009. Reflecting on his professional experiences at Huntingdon College, Leigh stated, “I’m blessed with a great staff that has helped me successfully serve in both roles. Serving Huntingdon students fuels me, and generating financial support for the institution is a tremendous way to enhance the student experience.”
From press release:
Over the past two decades, numerous colleges have added football teams in a quest to add students, particularly male students, and to use the popularity of athletics to build their brands. However, new research from UGA’s Carmical Sports Media Institute and the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education finds that adding a football team does not give a college enrollment or tuition advantages over its peers.
Insights from Rachel Burns (McBee PhD), a senior policy analyst at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, are featured heavily in a CNN.com article on financial solvency at US private colleges.
Thursday, April 11
Members of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education community, Karley Riffe (McBee Ph.D.) and Sondra Barringer and Brendan Cantwell (former postdocs at McBee) provide perspectives on faculty involvement in university financial decisions in a recent article in The Chronicle of Higher Education, “The Rise of Faculty Budget Activists.”
The article, by Megan Zahneis, explores increased faculty interest and participation in budgetary issues and university finances.
In the fall, Danielle Buehrer (EdD 2021) started to a new role at Indiana University Bloomington as the associate vice president of enterprise effectiveness and accreditation under the Office of University Academic Policy, where she is also the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
Rebecca Perdomo (PhD 2019) co-authored a research report on student financial outcomes among Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) with Robert Nathenson, Marybeth Gasman, Marvin Johnson, Doug Franklin, and Pearl Lo. The report, “Generational Jumps? How HSIs Promote Upward Mobility” was produced by the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.
Sarah Brackmann (McBee PhD) recently returned to the Georgia Institute of Technology as the director of community-based learning in the Office of Experiential and Engaged Learning.
Brackmann will scale, develop, implement, and support academic community engagement initiatives that align with Georgia Tech’s plan to advance undergraduate educational objectives. In this role, she will collaborate widely with community partners to provide hands-on learning experiences for students.
By Mary Harrison
Kelly Rosinger (McBee PhD), Robert Kelchen, Mitchell Lingo, Dominique J. Baker, Justin Ortagus, and Jiayao Wu collaborated on a ground-breaking research study entitled, “A Typology and Landscape of State Funding for Public Colleges and Universities from 2004 to 2021” published in the Review of Higher Education.
by Mary Harrison
Kelley Lips (EdD, 2021) released an article, published by UniversityBusiness.com, entitled "Create Better Enrollment Outcomes by Breaking Down Department Barriers."
Claire Major (McBee PhD), professor of higher education and faculty director of The University of Alabama Teaching Academy, is UA’s recipient of the 2024 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award.
Jim Dalton, UA executive vice president and provost, said, “[Major’s] foundational leadership of UA’s Teaching Academy, innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and scholarly excellence underscore her exemplary career and profound influence in higher education and distinguish her as UA’s outstanding nominee for SEC Professor of the Year.”
Marybeth Gasman and Rebecca Perdomo (PhD, 2019) authored a report, Achieving Equity: A Toolkit for Racially Inclusive Faculty Hiring, aimed at improving hiring processes within higher education institutions.
Rebecca Perdomo (PhD, 2019) and Rodrigo Guajardo (PhD student) released a report titled, "Caring or Capitalizing: How HSIs Leverage Title V Funds" through the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
We’re kicking off our month of Graduate Assistantship spotlights with Renni Turpin, who currently serves as a graduate assistant in the UGA Fanning Institute for Leadership Development with Embark Georgia.
Embark Georgia supports students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness to improve their access, retention, and success in postsecondary education.
Working with Embark Georgia has given Renni the opportunity to apply her academic knowledge and research expertise to assist this impactful program.
Michael T. Nietzel and Charles M. Ambrose (MIHE EdD, 1989) provided an overview of their new book entitled Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency, in Inside Higher Ed.
Kate Maine (Ed.D. 2019) was named as the inaugural vice president for marketing, communications and workforce development in a position shared between Dalton State University and Georgia Highlands College.
Dalton State President John Fuchko III said, "Dr. Maine is an experienced higher education professional who understands the importance of Dalton State to our region, and I am very excited to have her join the college."
by Jewel Caruso
Dominique Quarles (PhD 2019) has been named the associate vice president for organizational effectiveness, leadership development, and inclusive excellence at Georgia Southern University.
Jeff Delaney (EdD 2011) has been named as the new chief information officer at the University of Memphis.
Paul Rubin (PhD 2017), Barrett Taylor (PhD 2012), and Brendan Cantwell (former McBee postdoc) contributed to a recent article in Inside Higher Ed by Ryan Quinn, "Are Professors Really Fleeing Universities in Red States?"
An article by Hee Jung Gong (PhD 2021) and Robert Toutkoushian, McBee associate director, appears in the Educational Policy January 2024 issue. Their article, titled "High School Students' Expectations and College Aspirations: Causes and Consequences," explores the factors that influence high school students' educational aspirations and expectations and the impact on student enrollment in postsecondary institutions.
Marion Ross Fedrick (EdD 2021), 10th president of Albany State University, was recognized in Georgia Trend Magazine as one of Georgia's Most Influential Leaders in Education. Under her leadership, ASU's grant activity has more than doubled which includes a 2.9 million dollar Connecting Minority Communities Program federal grant. Fedrick plans to use the money to build a global campus for ASU.
Chuck Ambrose (EdD 1989) co-wrote a new book with Michael Nietzel, Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency, released on December 15th.
Rob Clark (PhD) is the senior director for Finance and Administration at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Previously, he served as the director of operations, maintenance, and projects at UGA’s Facilities Management Division. Clark is also a retired US Navy Officer.
Blake Bedsole (EdD 2013) will assume his new position of associate vice chancellor for enrollment management at Troy University effective January 1, 2024.
We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience.
Click Here to Learn More About Giving
Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.
