Rhode Island Women in Higher Education (RIWHE) Third Annual Spring Conference Friday, April 22, 2005 ~ Salve Regina University ~ Ochre Court BIOGRAPHIES OF TABLE-TOP LEADERS Judith A. Brissette, Ph.D. Dr. Brissette is the President of the Rhode Island Independent Higher Education. She is also a Senior Associate for R. H. Perry & Associates, a higher education search firm in Washington, DC. Prior to her appointment to RIIHEA, Dr. Brissette spent 17 years, 10 of which were in the role of Vice President for Administration and Planning, at Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts. In her capacity as Vice President, she also directed the Office of Student Affairs. During her tenure at Western New England College, she also served as Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Dr. Brissette, a native Rhode Islander, graduated from St. Mary Academy-Bay View. She received her Bachelor of Arts in sociology at Salve Regina University, and a Master of Education from Rhode Island College. She earned her Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Toledo. The Rhode Island Independent Higher Education Association is an alliance representing eight institutions of higher learning within the State of Rhode Island designed to address common needs of independent colleges and universities within the state. Institutions participating in RIIHEA include Brown University, Bryant University, Johnson and Wales University, New England Institute of Technology, Providence College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina University. Marguerite (Peg) Brown, Ph.D. Dr. Brown is Vice President of Development and College Relations for Rhode Island College and Executive Director of the Rhode Island College Foundation. Prior to her current 10 year tenure at Rhode Island College, which also included five years as Director of Development, Dr. Brown spent 11 years at the University of Rhode Island, including serving as Associate Director of the Urban Field Center and Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. A native of upstate New York, Dr. Brown earned her Bachelor of Arts from Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA; earned a lifetime teaching certificate; and taught secondary school for 14 years. She earned a Master s of Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island and her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a certificate in Life-long Learning from Harvard University and is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island, Sigma Class. In her current position, Dr. Brown is responsible for the Division of Development and College Relations which conducts all private fundraising for the College, in addition to 1
alumni affairs, publications, news and public relations, conferences and special events, and office services. She also serves as executive director for the Rhode Island College Foundation which now manages approximately $12 million in market value assets for the benefit of the College. Winifred E. Brownell, Ph.D. Dr. Brownell is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to her appointment as Dean in 1999, Dr. Brownell served for 3 years as Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, 5 years as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, and over 20 years on the faculty of Communication Studies at URI. In 1977-78 she coordinated the College of Human Science and Services at URI, and in 1978-79, she served as an ACE Fellow in academic administration at the University of Utah. A former resident of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, California, and Spain, she graduated from Amherst Central High School in Buffalo, New York and received her B. A. in Theatre and her M. A. and Ph.D. in Communication from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dean Brownell manages a budget of over $30 million in state, federal and private funding to support a College of 22 departments and over 40 academic programs, research centers, research-industrial partnerships, outreach programs, and performing and visual arts series. The College offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and serves 4,000 majors and over 11,000 students. In 1988, Dr. Brownell received the URI Foundation Teaching Excellence Award; in 1996, she received the Association of Academic and Professional Women Woman of the Year award; and in 2003, she received the Multicultural Center Administrative Excellence Award. Her publications include articles in Communication Monographs, Communication Quarterly, Personnel Journal, Communication Research Reports, The Encyclopedia of Aging, and The Gerontologist. Dr. Brownell has received over $1,000,000 in grant funding for creative and research projects, and she has attracted over $10,000,000 in individual, corporate and foundation awards and gifts to URI. In 1974-75 she coordinated the URI Honors Colloquium on "Aging, Dying and Death." In 1996, she co-coordinated the acclaimed John Hazen White Sr. Honors Colloquium on "Mortal Questions." Lorna Hunter To be provided Angela R. Renaud, Ed.D. Dr. Renaud is the Dean of the John Hazen White School of Arts & Sciences at Johnson & Wales University. Her 24 year tenure at Johnson & Wales includes serving as full professor, dean of academic and counseling support services, and coordinator of disabled student services. A native Rhode Islander, she received her Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Rhode Island and a Master of Arts in Education also from URI. She earned her Ed.D. in Teaching and Curriculum at Boston University. 2
Her research and professional development work have been in learning disabilities, developmental education and student retention. She has conducted faculty enrichment programs at colleges throughout the country. Currently, she is a member of the Deans Think Tank at the New England Resource Center for Higher Education. Jayne Richmond, Ph.D. Professional Experience Dean, University College and Special Academic Programs, (07/01 present); Interim Dean, University College and Special Academic Programs, (1998 07/01); Assistant Dean, University College and Director, New Student Programs, (1993 1998); Associate Professor - Human Development, Counseling, and Family Studies, University of Rhode Island (1986- present); Assistant Professor - College Student Personnel Program, Kansas State University (1982-1986) Education University of Florida Ph.D., 1982, Counselor Education M.S. and Ed.S, 1980, Counselor Education B.A., 1978, English Additional educational experiences 1992-93 American Council on Education Fellow - University of Central Florida 1991 1992 Special Assistant to the President - University of Rhode Island 1991 Bryn Mawr College and Higher Education Resource Services Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration (HERS) Selected Professional Service Prior to Employment at URI: Director, Women s Network of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Region (NASPA) IV West, 1984-85; President, Kansas College Personnel Association, 1984-86; President, Kansas Association for Women Deans, Administrators, and Counselors, 1983-85; Member, Executive Board for the Kansas Association of Counseling and Development, 1984-86; Member, Council on Student Affairs, Kansas State University, 1984-86; Member, Executive Board for the Riley County Mental Health Association, 1983-85 Professional Society Membership: Association of Deans and Directors of University Colleges and Undergraduate Studies (AD&D); American Council on Education (ACE); American Association of Higher Education (AAHE); American College Personnel Association (ACPA); National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA); National Association of Women Deans, Administrators, & Counselors (NAWDAC); 3
Ruth D. Sherman, Ed.D Dr. Ruth D. Sherman is Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Community College of Rhode Island, New England s largest community college serving more than 16,000 credit students annually on four campuses. As a member of the college s senior management team, Dr. Sherman is responsible for providing academic and administrative leadership in the areas of educational policy, strategic planning, program review, quality assurance, faculty development, and resource planning and allocation. She is responsible for advancing the college s new progressive academic agenda focused on student learning outcomes, K-16 curriculum alignment, developmental education, and student persistence and retention. Prior to joining CCRI, Dr. Sherman held senior administrative positions at Bristol Community College in Fall River, Massachusetts as Dean of Enrollment, Workforce and Community Development and as Dean of Continuing Education. Additionally, she served as Assistant Dean of the Open College and Assistant Dean for Planning, Development Research, and Evaluation at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Massachusetts. During Dr. Sherman s twenty-five years of community college leadership experience, she has written articles, delivered presentations, and made notable contributions in the design and implementation of educational career ladders, responsive business/industry and community partnerships, and innovative high support academic programs that increase educational access for high risk populations. Dr. Sherman earned her associate s degree from MassBay Community College, her master s degree from Northeastern University and her bachelor s and doctorate degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Barbara von Echardt To be provided Clancie Mavello Wilson, Ph.D. Dr. Wilson is the Director for the Institute for Teaching and Learning at Roger Williams University and Faculty member of the School of Education. Dr. Wilson has more than 20 years of experience teaching in the public schools, several of which include being responsible for the mentoring of new teachers. The past five years, two of those spent at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois, have been spent teaching in higher education and overseeing programs that are responsible for certifying teachers at the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Wilson is a native Alabamian. She earned a B.S. in Education from Tuskegee University; An M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Atlanta University; A Diploma for Advanced study in Teaching from Emory University and her Ph.D. in Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College. She has served on several boards; been selected as teacher mentor of the year and is a recognized advocate for parental involvement in the education of children. 4
Her research continues to investigate ways to more effectively educate children and to aggressively involve parents in the process; to better understand culture and its impact on learning, and improved techniques for teacher preparation. She presents her findings at conferences both nationally and internationally. She has served as a head start director; a child development associate consultant for the child development consortium and as a Peace Corp Teacher in West Africa. 5