W faculty assume new leadership positions
Mississippi University for Women has named faculty to three leadership positions. Two are in key academic enrichment experiences for students, as the Ina E. Gordy Honors College will have a new director, and a founding director has been named for the newly created Women’s College. An additional associate vice presidency has also been established.
The Ina E. Gordy Honors College will continue its long tradition of promoting intellectual curiosity, transformational field experiences, original research and academic achievement as it welcomes new director Dr. Josh Dohmen this fall.
Dohmen, associate professor of philosophy, teaches honors courses in ethics and has served as program director for the Nancy Yates Community Engagement Program and on the team planning the university’s current Quality Enhancement Plan “Empowering Your Journey.”
In the role of director of the Honors College, Dohmen will take on the core work of advising and supporting both four-year and transfer honors students, including those in the Residential Honors Program, who form a living-learning community and complete summer study abroad together in the summer after the sophomore year. He also will work to enhance recruitment, retention and student engagement.
Congratulating Dohmen on his appointment, Dr. Scott Tollison, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said, “Dr. Dohmen’s abilities to plan and lead programs have been on display through his work with the QEP and the Nancy Yates Community Engagement Program. I know he is going to utilize these skills as he leads the Ina E. Gordy Honors College toward a bright future.”
“I’m excited to work closely with students in the Honors College,” said Dohmen. “I hope to help them feel empowered to be agents of positive change throughout the rest of their lives.”
For more information about the Honors College at The W, please visit muw.edu/honors.
The W’s new Women’s College was formally approved by the Board of Trustees of Mississippi’s Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) in April to strengthen and advance the university’s historic emphasis on academic and leadership development for women.
Dr. Kim Whitehead, previously director of the Honors College, will act as founding director of the Women’s College in an interim capacity for the coming academic year.
“I’m very honored to help launch the Women’s College,” said Whitehead, “as I believe the curriculum and experiences it provides will be transformative for our students, increasing their gender awareness as we highlight women’s achievements and leadership in the past and present and giving them skills and experiences that empower them to become transformational leaders in their professions and communities.”
Of Whitehead’s new role, Dr. Tollison said, “Dr. Whitehead has taken the Honors College to new heights during her nearly decade of service as its director as well as leading an untold number of other campus initiatives. These experiences will be invaluable in laying a strong foundation for the Women’s College during its inaugural year.”
The university will offer scholarships to students to become 1884 Scholars and 1884 Fellows in the Women’s College. The designation “1884” was selected in honor of the year the university was founded as the first public college for women in the United States.
Regardless of major, 1884 Scholars and Fellows will choose from courses across the curriculum that explore women’s roles and leadership. Fellows will complete more requirements, including a high-impact experience. As the college expands its programming and course offerings, students will benefit from an increased range of high-impact experiences, and the college also plans to develop a network of mentoring opportunities with faculty and alumni.
Upon completion of the college curriculum, 1884 Scholars and Fellows will receive special recognition at their commencement ceremony and on their academic transcript.
Enrollment in the first Women’s College is now open, and students may also apply for scholarships to begin this fall.
A search from among MUW faculty for a permanent director of the Women’s College will be held in spring 2025.
For more information on the Women’s College, please visit muw.edu/womenscollege.
Dr. Marty Brock whose service as dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies concludes on June 30, has been appointed associate vice president for academic affairs and will have responsibility for the Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning and the direction of the Office of Graduate Studies. In addition, she will assume the role of SACSCOC accreditation liaison at the conclusion of The W’s current reaffirmation.
An experienced instructional designer, Brock served as the institution’s first coordinator of teaching excellence. Later, as a member of the faculty, she collaborated on the creation of two graduate programs. She is also a veteran of numerous institutional and program accreditations at The W and a trained evaluator for both institutional and program accreditors.
“Dr. Brock has a comprehensive knowledge of instructional design and technology principles, academic program creation and leadership and accreditation standards at both the institutional and program level,” said Dr. Tollison. “Under her guidance, I know these areas will continue to flourish.”
For more information on the Kossen Center for Teaching and Learning at The W, please visit muw.edu/ctl.