Constance Cannon Frazier

Constance Cannon Frazier has joined Dillard University as the chief of staff and special assistant to the president. Previously, Frazier served as chief operating officer (COO) and briefly as chief executive officer of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) where she spent 17 years. Frazier is a highly respected member of the advertising and communications community. This year, she was named an Ad Club of New York “Icon” and she earned the ADCOLOR Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. Having earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Howard University, Frazier also earned her M.B.A. from Tulane University.

Elspeth McMahon

Old Dominion University has selected Elspeth McMahon as its inaugural associate vice president for Maritime Initiatives. McMahon has a diverse maritime background. Graduating from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2004, she is currently a USCG Licensed Merchant Marine Deck Officer, Commander in the United States Navy Reserves, and former Assistant Professor from the Marine Transportation Department at the State University of New York Maritime College. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in Nautical Sciences at the University of Antwerp and Antwerp Maritime Academy in Belgium, studying the future of mariner training with the onset of autonomous shipping. McMahon will work to make ODU the center for all things maritime in the Hampton Roads region and beyond.

Kimberly Griffin

Dr. Kimberly Griffin has been named dean of the College of Education at the University of Maryland. She joined the University of Maryland in 2012 as an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, and has held several leadership roles in the College of Education since then. Prior to Maryland, she held positions at The Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford University. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in higher education and organizational change from the University of California, Los Angeles, an M.A. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in psychology from Stanford University.

Paul Hauptman

Paul J. Hauptman, M.D., has been named dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, and chief academic officer for Renown Health,  and will begin his appointment in October, 2022. Dr. Hauptman currently serves as dean at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine-Knoxville and chief academic officer at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. A first-generation American and college graduate, Dr. Hauptman received his M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical College (now Weill Medical College).  He completed his internal medicine training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston and cardiology fellowships at both Mount Sinai Hospital (New York) and Brigham and Women’s.

Mercedes Gutierrez

Cerritos College named Dr. Mercedes Gutierrez as Vice President/Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Most recently, she served as Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the Los Angeles Community College District where she was the Director of Human Resources. Prior to that, Dr. Gutierrez served as Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE)’s Coordinator of Human Resource Services for nine years. Dr. Gutierrez earned a doctorate in educational leadership from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She also earned two master’s degrees: one in bilingual/bicultural education from Loyola Marymount University, and one in educational leadership from California State University, Los Angeles.

Cynthia Hope

Cynthia Hope has been named associate vice president for research administration at Georgia Tech. Hope joined Georgia Tech in 2019 as Georgia Tech Office of Sponsored Programs Director of Government and Not-for-Profit Contracts and Grants in support of colleges and other academic units. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she was the assistant vice president for research and director of the Office for Sponsored Programs at The University of Alabama, where she also served on the Board of the Council on Governmental Relations and was the chair for its Costing Policies Committee. Hope holds a BS degree in Accounting and a BA degree in Psychology from The University of Alabama.