Nicole Porchia has been promoted to vice president for student development at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. A staff member with the university for over a decade, she most recently served as associate vice president for student success and retention. Previously, she was director of multicultural student programs for five years.
Dr. Porchia is an alumna of Ouachita Baptist University, where she majored in mass communication. She holds a master’s degree in higher education leadership from the University of Arkansas and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Rashad Smith has been promoted to assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions at the University of Southern Indiana. He most recently served as executive director of enrollment. Earlier in his tenure with the University of Southern Indiana, he was director of undergraduate admissions.
Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina.
Naja L. Muhammad has been named the inaugural director of alumni relations for the New York University Silver School of Social Work. She comes to NYU from Barnard College, where she was the senior associate director of alumnae relations. Earlier in her career, she was the assistant director of student engagement at Columbia University.
Muhammad received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Memphis in Tennessee and her master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education from Columbia University.
Lauren Ferrell has been named assistant vice president of pre-award services at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She comes to her new role from Harvard University, where she was associate dean for research administration. Earlier in her career, she held various administrative roles with the University of Southern California.
Ferrell has over two decades of experience in research administration.
