Alumnae of the HERS Leadership Institute (HLI) are a diverse group of bold and resilient women united by the common goal of becoming leaders of their institutions and academic communities. Our alumnae represent a wide range of professional backgrounds, experiences, areas of expertise, and geographic locations — each bringing their unique perspective to the HERS learning community.
Learn more about our accomplished HLI Alumnae:

Ana M. Franco-Watkins
Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University
HERS Institute Alumna, Online 2021

Raymonda “Ray” Burgman, Ph.D.
Vice President, Programs and Services at WICHE
HERS Institute Alumna, Weekend 2006

Jessica Lavariega Monforti, PhD
Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at California Lutheran University
HERS Institute Alumna, HERS Institute Alum, Class of 2019

Mari Castañeda, PhD
Dean of Commonwealth Honors College at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
HERS Institute Alumna, 2019

Debora Johnson-Ross, PhD
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Wartburg College
HERS Institute Alumna, 2010

Laura Furge, PhD
Provost at Muhlenberg College, starting June 2021
HERS Institute Alumna, 2018

Yenny D. Anderson
Vice Provost for Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics at Lehigh University
HERS Institute Alumna, 2015

Wanda Costen, PhD, MBA
Dean of the School of Business at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
HERS Institute Alumna, 2019

Deborah Dezure, PhD
Assistant Provost for Faculty and Organizational Development Emerita at Michigan State University
HERS Institute Alumna, 1998

Patricia Findley, PhD
Associate Professor of Social Work, Director of the MSW Program, and Assistant to the Dean for Interprofessional Health Initiatives at Rutgers University – New Jersey
HERS Institute Alumna, 2019


Corinne L. McNamara, PhD
Interim Department Chair and Professor of Psychological Science at Kennesaw State University
HERS Institute Alumna, 2020

Chavonda Mills, PhD
Interim Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgia College
HERS Institute Alumna, 2016

Payal Parikh, MD, FACP
Vice Chair of Quality and Safety, Department of Medicine / Assistant Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
HERS Institute Alumna, 2020

Jenelle Pitt, Ph.D., LPCC, LPC, CRC, NCC
Department Chair and Professor at California State University, Fresno
HERS Institute Alumna, 2020

Yves Salomon-Fernandez, PhD
President, Greenfield Community College, Massachusetts
HERS Institute Alumna, 2011

Michelle Stewart, PhD
President of the Institute for Clinical Social Work located in Chicago, Illinois
HERS Institute Alumna, 2015

Desha Williams, PhD
Dean of the College of Education and Social Work at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
HERS Institute Alumna, 2019