On the Move January 2020: Recent Hirings and Promotions in Higher Education

Sarah Gehlert has been selected to lead the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work as dean. Gehlert has served as dean of the College of Social Work at the University of South Carolina since 2017.

The Clark University (Worcester, MA) Board of Trustees has announced David B. Fithian, Ph.D., has been unanimously elected as Clark's 10th president. Fithian, a 1987 graduate of Clark, currently serves as executive vice president at the University of Chicago. He begins his new duties on July 1.

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City has named Bill Spindle, Ed.D., as its new vice president for finance and administration. Spindle leaves his previous position as vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer at Texas A&M in San Antonio. He begins his new position on January 21.

Dr. Beth Wolfe has been named the new executive vice president of Enrollment Management at the University of Charleston (UC) in West Virginia. Wolfe comes to UC from Marshall University, where she served for the past 13 years, most recently as the director of Continuing Education. Wolfe started her appointment at UC on January 13.

Laurel Kuxhaus, an associate professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at Clarkson University, in Potsdam, NY, has recently been named program director of the Biomechanics & Mechanobiology Program within the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation, Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Kevin Finn has been named dean of the School of Nursing & Health Sciences and director of clinical partnerships at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH, and will begin his role in late January. Finn was most recently the associate dean for the School of Health Sciences at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA.

The Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (Blacksburg) has named Dr. M. Daniel Givens as its new dean. He will take over the position in June. Givens is currently the associate dean for academic affairs at the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine and a professor there in the Department of Pathobiology.

Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, has selected Markesha Henderson as its next director of athletics. Henderson joins the department after serving as an associate professor and as director of the Center for Innovative Teaching, Learning and Engagement at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta. She began her new duties earlier this month.

Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY, has named Matt Roan as director of Athletics. Roan has been serving as director of Athletics at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA. He will assume his new duties in early February.

Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC,  has announced that Brian Gann will become vice president of Enrollment and Student Services on February 14. Immediately prior to this appointment he served as vice president of Student Services at Jackson State Community College in Tennessee. Before Jackson State, he worked in the Alabama community college system for 14 years.

Featured

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.