Alumni News

The University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees this week named Houston D. Davis as the school’s 11th president. Davis has served as an IHE Fellow since 2012.

Three IHE alumni were recognized in the September 2016 newsletter of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), a scholarly society dedicated to higher education as a field of study.

Denisa Gándara (Ph.D. 2016) and Dennis Kramer (Ph.D. 2014) were among those welcomed as the newest members of the ASHE Board of Directors and Councils, while Joy Blanchard (Ph.D. 2008) was listed in the ASHE “Notables” section. 

As of Sept. 1, Sandidge became the special advisor to the dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

IHE alumna Rebecca Sandidge (Ph.D. 2015) has taken a new position in Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. As of Sept. 1, she has moved from the MBA Admissions Office to the Office of the Dean, where she will be special advisor to Dean Erika James.       

In this role, Sandidge will spearhead key projects for the dean’s office, manage the dean’s external outreach, and assist in the execution of priorities created by the dean’s office.

IHE alumna Jennifer Frum (Ph.D., 2009) has been named to Georgia Trend’s newest list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians.

She joins UGA President Jere Morehead, as well as a host of business and political leaders included in the annual list, published in the magazine’s January 2016 issue. At age 47, she is among the youngest of those selected by the magazine for “making an impact on the lives and livelihoods of people across the state.”

Sixteen students in graduate programs with the Institute of Higher Education received their degrees at UGA Commencement ceremonies held on Dec. 18.

Graduating from the M.Ed. program in Higher Education Administration were Kristen Drapela and Nikki Hon.

Graduating from the Ph.D. program were Lucia Brajkovic, Lindsay Coco and Rebecca Sandidge.

IHE alumna Laura Meadows (EdD 2013) was among nine women chosen for the inaugural class of the University of Georgia’s Women’s Leadership Fellows Program.

The new program is designed to help the fellows hone their leadership skills and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities confronting research universities. The members of the first cohort will attend monthly meetings with senior administrators on campus as well as visiting speakers from academia, business and other fields. The program will conclude with a weekend retreat in June.

Danny Sniff (EdD, 2011) will assume a new leadership role at UGA on Jan. 1, 2016 as the director of academic partnerships in the College of Environment and Design.

Sniff has served as associate vice president for facilities planning and University Architect since 2000.

Laura Meadows (EdD 2013) was among 12 graduates honored by the University of Georgia Graduate School with the 2015 Alumni of Distinction Award for achieving exceptional success in their professional careers and in service to their community. The awards were presented in October.

Alumna Brooks Seay (EdD, 2011) has been selected as the new vice president of finance and operations and CFO at Young Harris College in North Georgia.  She will guide the strategic direction of a college that has experienced significant recent growth. In her role at Young Harris, Seay will provide leadership and oversight for all aspects of the institution’s financial administration and non-academic operations. Previously, she was chief business and lead administrative officer at Emory University’s Law School.

Samaad Wes Keys joins Achieving the Dream as associate director of programs and policy. He will work on community college programs that effect institutional change, advance knowledge, and public engagement. Conceived as an initiative in 2004 by Lumina Foundation and seven founding partner organizations, Achieving the Dream now leads the most comprehensive non-governmental reform movement for student success in higher education history.

Daniel J. Pugh, Sr. (PhD, 2000), has been named vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University and will begin his new duties on Aug. 1.  He currently serves as vice provost for student affairs at the University of Arkansas.

Pugh was selected following a nationwide search conducted by a broad-based university advisory committee that included faculty, staff and students. The search produced more than 40 nominations and applications.

Jennifer Frum's first job at UGA shares many similarities with the one that she has now.

Jeff Delaney has been named interim chief information officer beginning June 1 for the University System of Georgia, Board of Regents. Executive Vice Chancellor Steve Wrigley made the announcement, "Jeff brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and we appreciate his willingness to serve."

Dr. Ginger Durham (EdD 2015) will assume the role of assistant vice chancellor for faculty development at the University System of Georgia beginning August 1, 2015.

Durham has worked in the USG Office of Faculty Development for the past 10 years, recently serving as director of faculty development.

The Chronicle of Higher Education features UGA Experiential Learning initiative – Soon, all undergraduates at Georgia will be required to pursue similar academic paths. The university announced last month that, as early as the fall of 2016, every incoming freshman will be required to participate in a hands-on learning experience in order to graduate.

Jennifer Rippner (PhD, 2013) joined the University System of Georgia team as executive director of Education Policy & Partnership and coordinator of Georgia Alliance of Education Agency Heads (AEAH) on May 1, 2015. Rippner most recently served as a postdoctoral research and teaching associate at the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) at the University of Georgia.

Major Douglas R. Chadwick was one of 18 graduating student veterans presented with military honor cords by President Jere W. Morehead during the Student Veterans Resource Center's Honor Cord Ceremomy. Chadwick, an active duty Army major, will return to West Point after receiving his Ph.D. in higher education.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing emerging leaders for senior positions in college and university administration. Forty-seven Fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their institutions, were selected this year following a rigorous application process.

IHE alum Linda Bachman (Ed.D. 2013) has been named as The University of Georgia's first-ever director of university experiential learning. Her appointment is effective May 1 in the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.

Currently assistant dean in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Bachman is charged with identifying and proposing innovative ways to advance experiential learning across UGA’s diverse undergraduate programs.

Kudos to you Linda!

An Institute of Higher Education graduate’s dissertation has been selected as the runner-up (semi-finalist) for the Politics of Education Association Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award. Mary Milan Deupree’s (Ph.D. 2013) dissertation “’Policy Be Damned, Research Be Damned’: A Multiple Case Study of Research Use in Undocumented Student Policy Decisions,” will be recognized at the 2015 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in Chicago in April.

Sondra N. Barringer joined the Institute in fall 2013 as a postdoctoral research associate. She comes to IHE from the School of Sociology at the University of Arizona, where she received her doctorate in 2013 and a Master of Arts (also in sociology) in 2008. Barringer’s primary role at IHE is as project manager on a National Science Foundation grant titled “The Executive Science Network: University Trustees and the Organization of University-Industry Exchanges.” She is working with co-PIs Sheila Slaughter and Barrett J.

Doctoral programs within the Institute of Higher Education serve as an incubator of sorts for individuals who end up leading public service and outreach. IHE graduates who enter public service understand higher education beyond administration or management, envisioning ways to bring together research, expertise and practice to current issues. That comprehensive approach to graduate education is a key aspect of the program, according to IHE Director Libby Morris.

Andrew Belasco, a recent PhD graduate (June 2014), has published lead-authored articles in The Journal of Higher Education, The Review of Higher Education, and Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis examining topics related to graduate school debt, postsecondary under-match and test-optional admissions. His work and opinions were featured in several media outlets, including Inside Higher Education, CBS Moneywatch, and U.S News & World Report.

Jennifer Hodges Stephens (PhD 2013) is the associate vice president of public affairs at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), which opened its doors in 2006 with 118 students and serves almost 11,000 students today. GGC is the first four-year, public college created in Georgia in more than 100 years. Stephens’ primary responsibilities are to tell the college’s story, launch its new and evolving brand, and build strong relationships with its various constituencies. She has been intimately involved in almost every facet of the creation of the new institution and its strategic planning.

Stu Evans (EdD 2011) is the executive director of the McIntire School of Commerce Foundation at the University of Virginia and the assistant dean of strategic initiatives at the McIntire School of Commerce.