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

Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC, has announced former NFL defensive lineman Sean Gilbert as its new head coach. Gilbert spent 11 years in the NFL, including five seasons as a Carolina Panther from 1998 to 2002.

Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global has selected Christopher Davis, D.M., to take over as dean of the DeVoe School of business. Prior to being named dean of the DeVoe School of Business, Davis served as associate professor in the Paul R. Carter College of Business at Harding University in Searcy, AR.

Florida’s Jacksonville University has announced the selection of Dr. Barbara A. Ritter as the next dean of the Davis College of Business. Dr. Ritter currently serves as the dean of the Wall College of Business at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. The university will welcome her to campus in July.

Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, KY, in partnership with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center, has announced Catherine Glover as the new director of its award-winning Small Business Development Center. She has previously served as president/CEO for several chambers of commerce and a state-wide manufacturers association. She assumed her new post on February 3.

Quinton Staples has been selected as the first director of diversity initiatives at College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick, GA. Previously, Staples worked in multicultural outreach and education at the University of South Florida in Tampa and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Northeast Community College in Norfolk, NE, has selected Carla Streff as its new director of its extended campus operation in West Point, NE. Streff, who previously served as executive director of technology services at Northeast, began her new position in early January.

Dr. Douglas Palmer has been selected as president of Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO. Dr. Palmer has served as provost–vice president of academic affairs and as assistant dean of academic innovation at Walsh University in North Canton, OH, since 2015. He will assume his new role on July 1st.

The University of Massachusetts board of trustees has selected Marcelo Suarez-Orozco to serve as the new chancellor for the system's Boston campus. Suarez-Orozco is the Wasserman Dean at the University of California Los Angeles, where he leads a graduate school, 16 research institutes, and two academic programs. He has also previously held positions at Harvard University and New York University.

Robin Fretwell Wilson, a professor and associate dean at the University of Illinois (U of I) College of Law, has been appointed director of the U of I Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Wilson will assume her new role at the U of I System’s public policy research institute in a designate capacity effective February 16.

The board of trustees of Caldwell University has announced the selection of Matthew Whelan as the next president of the Catholic Dominican University in Caldwell, NJ. He is currently vice president for University Enrollment Strategy and Relationship Development at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, NY.

Christine Wilson, a professor and director of undergraduate programs for Kansas State University’s agricultural economics department, has been appointed associate dean and director of academic programs for Purdue University’s College of Agriculture in West Lafayette, IN, effective February 17.

Kasia Gonnerman has been selected as the next dean of Libraries at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Gonnerman, who is director of Vanderbilt University’s Central Library in Nashville, TN, will begin her work at UAB on April 1.

Featured

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • California District Debuts New High-School CTE Center

    The West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) in Sebastopol, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new CTE Center at Analy High School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) for the facility’s design and GCCI for its construction, and funding came from local Measure A bond funds.

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • Growing Allied Health Workforce Demands Fueling Greater Need for Higher Education Facilities

    With the demand for healthcare professionals at an all-time high, colleges and universities are challenged with supporting the workforce demands in their own communities. Careers in allied health generally require specific training and/or certification, with some positions requiring degrees, certified credentials, and continuing education.