Public Institution

Ms. Sukhie Bal has been appointed as the new Senior Director of Development, Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University. She began her duties on April 28. Ms. Bal comes to SFSU from the Sequoia Hospital Foundation, where she served as the Director of Development for two years. Prior to Sequoia, Ms. Bal served for 3 years as the Senior Director of Development at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Ms. Bal holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California-Santa Cruz, an M.A. in Education Administration from California State University Northridge, and an M.S. in Supply Chain Management from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Joyce C. Ester has been appointed as the new President at Governors State University effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Ester is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in higher education administration, currently serving as President of Normandale Community College in Minnesota since 2014. Under her leadership, the college has successfully reaffirmed its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission and has seen significant growth in enrollment, particularly among students of color. Dr. Ester has spearheaded strategic initiatives that enhance student success, equity, and employee development, while also establishing a robust Advancement Division that has increased grant revenue and secured substantial philanthropic support. Her previous roles include President of Kennedy King College, one of seven schools that comprise City Colleges of Chicago, and Associate Vice President for Student Services at Bakersfield College, where she implemented innovative programs and improved student services. Dr. Ester holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.S. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. Read more.

Ms. Melissa Wilf has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Budget at Bowie State University.  She will begin on May 28, 2025. Ms. Wilf is an experienced professional with a history of working in budgeting, finance, management in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As Budget Director for the US Department of Energy since 2022, she is highly skilled in financial management, federal budgeting, government resource management, legislative and policy analysis and recommendations, and cross-sector leadership development.  Prior experience includes administration and budget roles within the Department of Justice; the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She holds a Masters degree in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor's degree in Communications (BA) from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Brian Brown has been appointed as the new Dean, School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University. His appointment is effective April 25, 2025. Dr. Brown, a professor in the school’s Department of Marketing, has served as interim dean since January 2024. He joined VCU as an assistant professor in 2011, rising to the ranks of associate professor in 2013 and professor in 2019. Earlier, he served as an assistant professor for five years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he earned an award for outstanding teaching. Before joining the academy, Dr. Brown spent more than 15 years in the private sector in marketing, management, and consulting. Specifically, his background includes several years at The Coca-Cola Company, including a role as brand manager of Coca-Cola Classic. Dr. Brown earned his Ph.D. from Georgia State University, his MBA from Duke University, and his BA from the University of Virginia. Read more.

Dr. Abby Parrill-Baker has been appointed as the new Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at University of Michigan-Flint effective June 1, 2025. Dr. Parrill-Baker currently serves as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis, a position she has held since 2019, with a brief interlude as Interim Provost. In this role, she has supported the development of an expanded number of pathways for students into professional schools, secured more than $5 million in funding to support experiential learning fellowships, and led college-based initiatives that contributed to the university earning classification as a Carnegie Very High Research (R1) institution. Her academic and administrative career spans over two decades, during which she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in strategic planning, budget management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her research expertise in computational and medicinal chemistry has resulted in numerous publications and patents, underscoring her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and educational excellence. Dr. Parrill-Baker holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Central Michigan University. Read more.

Dr. Christopher Trombly has been appointed as the new Dean, College of Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Trombly most recently served as the Interim Dean, College of Education for Southern Connecticut State University and will continue on with his current duties. Prior to joining Southern's Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (in August 2018), Christopher had served for five years on the faculty – and, for part of that time, as department chair – of Arkansas Tech University’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Before teaching at the university level, Christopher had served in PreK-12 for a total of sixteen years – three years as a school counselor, four years as assistant principal, and nine years as principal – all in Duxbury, Massachusetts. A proud alumnus of VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), Christopher is a committed advocate for policies that promote the wellbeing of children and their families. He serves on the board of directors of Connecticut CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), an organization that serves children in the state's foster system. Read more.

Dr. Richard Sévère has been appointed as the new Dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) at Purdue University Northwest. He will begin his new role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Sévère is currently Associate Dean of the College Arts and Sciences at Valparaiso University, where he previously served as Chair of the Department of English and Acting Chair of the Department of Kinesiology. His accomplishments include oversight and leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences' 17 departments, management of the college's budget, and growth of research opportunities for faculty members in the college. He also previously held administrative roles at Centenary University, where he served as founding director of the Centenary Writing Collaboratory and founding director for the Centenary Scholars Program. Dr. Sévère earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in English Literature Education, both from Florida A&M University, and his Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Purdue University. Read more.

Dr. Jennifer Ng has been appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty & Vice President for Faculty Affairs at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Ng will begin her new role on June 1, 2025. Dr. Ng’s extensive background in higher education includes 21 years at the University of Kansas, serving as professor and chair of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, as well as associate vice provost for faculty development and mentoring. She has also been a certified coach through the Faculty Success Program at the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, and she is currently the inaugural associate director for faculty development for the University Council for Educational Administration. Read more.

Mr. Scott Molander has been appointed as the new President at Dickinson State University (DSU). He will assume his new role as DSU President on July 1, 2025. Mr. Molander is currently Managing Partner of Garage Living & SKINS Compression and an Adjunct Lecturer of Entrepreneurship & Innovation in the Lacy School of Business at Butler University. In 2006, he was a recipient of the North Dakota Business Innovator of the Year Award, and he currently serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of the DSU Heritage Foundation. He earned an A.A. in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota-Williston, a B.S. in Business Administration from Dickinson State University, and an M.B.A. from Indiana State University. Read more.

Dr. L. Beril Toktay has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Toktay will begin her duties on April 1. Dr. Toktay began at the Georgia Institute of Technology as a Visiting Associate Professor in 2004 and has held a number of faculty and administrative roles over the past 20 years.  She is currently the Brady Family Chair in Management and Regents' Professor in the Scheller College of Business and she is the founding Faculty Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business.  She has published extensively on the topics of sustainable operations and supply chain management and she became a Distinguished Fellow of the Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (MSOM) Society in 2017. Dr. Toktay holds B.S. degrees in mathematics and industrial engineering from Bogazici University (Istanbul), an M.S. in industrial engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in operations research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.