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by Jewel Caruso
Nathan Moore (PhD 2020) was recently appointed as deputy chief of staff to President Jere W. Morehead at the University of Georgia. He assumed his new responsibilities on October 1st.
In Moore's new position, he will be the leading point of contact for inquiries and day-to-day management of the President’s Office. In addition, he will work closely with Development and Alumni Relations and serve as President Morehead's liaison to the University Council and President’s Faculty Advisory Committee.
Claire Major (PhD 1998) was named the founding faculty director of the University of Alabama's Teaching Academy. Currently a professor of higher education, Major is enthusiastic about the role of this new campus resource hub.
Husch Blackwell recently announced that Chuck Ambrose (EdD 1989) has joined its higher education practice group as a senior consultant.
Kanler Cumbass, M.Ed. 2021 and Education Strategy Group(ESG) associate, recently co-authored an article with Oreyane Tate highlighting the ways that lawmakers across the United States seek to legislate higher education's role in students' economic mobility and the overall economic well being of states.
Ben Cecil (PhD 2022) co-authored a report, “2023 Economic Mobility Index,” with Chazz Robinson published on Third Way’s website.
Stan Jackson (Ph.D. 2023) was selected for the 2023-2024 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).
Rachel Burns (PhD 2018) published a report with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association titled, State tuition and fees for undocumented students. Burns is currently a senior policy analyst at SHEEO.
Maggie Parker, PhD 2022, was recently selected as the director of the Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness at UGA.
Juanita Hicks (EdD, 2018) is the new senior associate vice president and chief human resources officer for the University of Georgia. She started her new position on July 1, 2023.
In the news release, Ryan Nesbit, vice president for finance and administration, said, "Much has been done and much is in progress to help advance support to the university community, and I am confident that Juanita will provide the vision, leadership, and support to continue building on this very positive momentum and energy."
John Fuchko III (EdD 2019) was named as the new interim president at Dalton State College and started on June 1, 2023.
In the news release, Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said "Dr. Fuchko has outstanding experience as a campus leader and with the university system office, and will serve Dalton State and its students, faculty and staff well in the interim."
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) recently released the book, Volatility in State Spending for Higher Education edited by Jennifer A. Delaney.
Two McBee faculty members, James C. Hearn and Erik Ness, collaborated with two alumni, Denisa Gándara and Paul Rubin, to write a chapter in this new book, titled “Political Volatility in State Commitment to College Completion Efforts.” This project was a product of the William T. Grant Foundation grant.
Research by three McBee Institute PhD graduates and a former postdoctoral associate is published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. The article, titled "'One of the Weakest Budget Players in the State': State Funding of Higher Education at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic" is a qualitative study of higher education appropriation decisions in two states.
Melissa Whatley (PhD 2019) is the recipient of the 2023 TLS Innovative Research in International Education Award from NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
This award is given to individuals whose research is applicable to international education and meets NAFSA's knowledge domains. Their research must also demonstrate an impact in the field of international education and addresses the innovative nature of the research.
Jeffrey P. Stein (EdD 2017) was recently named as the 10th president of Mary Baldwin University and will start July 1, 2023.
Stein is a graduate of the executive education doctoral program at the McBee Institute. Through his 21 years at Elon University, he served as the vice president for strategic initiatives, an assistant professor of English, associate vice president, and chief of staff to the president, and secretary to the Board of Trustees.
Alexa Arndt (PhD 2023) served as a research assistant with the J. W. Fanning Institute. Her research interests include women in senior leadership roles within institutions of higher education. Arndt was also previously the president of the Higher Education Student Society (HESS).
Brian Brookey (MEd 2023) serves as the Regional Director of Development for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UGA. His research topics include higher education development practices and the growing importance of development plays in a university’s success.
John Mitchell, EdD 2011, was on the March 16 episode of The Forbes Books Podcast.
With host Joe Pardavila, Mitchell discusses how the pandemic changed the world recruitment and talent management in this episode. Mitchell touches on how the possibility of a recession is causing companies to slow their hiring with the goal of not having to lay off many people in the future.
Ben Cecil, PhD 2022, recently accepted a new position with Third Way as a senior education policy advisor Previously, Cecil was a research associate for the American Council on Education (ACE) based in Washington, D.C., while he was earning his PhD.
Third Way is a national think-tank that champions modern center-left idea. Cecil joins their higher education team that strives to "expand the conversation about federal higher education policy from focusing solely on cost to comprehensively prioritizing return on investment for students and taxpayers."
Graduates of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education excel in many different areas of our field. Below are the alumnae that we are aware of who are currently teaching in higher education classrooms across the United States.
Karley Riffe, PhD 2018
Kelly Rosinger, PhD 2015
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