Nicole L. McDonald has been named assistant dean of Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, a two-year college within the university system. She comes to her new role from Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, where was the senior vice president for transformation initiatives. Previously, she was assistant vice provost for student success strategies at the University of Houston.
Dr. McDonald earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Wright State University in Ohio. She holds a master’s degree in higher education administration and a Ph.D. in leadership and policy studies from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Lerato Barney has been named vice president and chief audit and compliance officer at Princeton University in New Jersey. Her background includes over two decades of experience in operational, financial, and information technology audit programs. She has been serving as vice president and chief audit officer for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Barney received her bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and her MBA from the University of Kentucky.
Rodney Lewis has been selected to serve as a consultant for national security research development at the University of North Dakota. He has over three decades of experience as a military leader, working in high-level strategy and defense budget planning roles at the Pentagon. Now retired, he was commander of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota from 2015 to 2017.
Dr. Lewis holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of North Dakota.
Charles Jake has been named vice president of legal affairs and general counsel at Kansas State University. He currently serves as vice president and general counsel at the University of Toledo in Ohio. In addition to his experience in academia, he has worked in state and local government.
Jake received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Oakwood University in Alabama and his law degree from the University of Cincinnati.
Brittany A. Holloman has been named executive director of HBCU CARES, a coalition dedicated to advancing the impact of historically Black colleges, community colleges, and universities throughout Alabama. She has an extensive background in HBCU administration, previously holding senior roles with Allen University in South Carolina, Alabama A&M University, and Talladega College in Alabama.
A three-time HBCU graduate, Dr. Holloman holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stillman College in Alabama, a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Alabama A&M University, and a Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University in Mississippi.
Douglas D. LaVergne has been named associate vice president for academic affairs and undergraduate studies at Alabama A&M University. For the past two years, he has served as dean of the College of Agriculture, Environmental, and Human Sciences and vice president for land grant engagement at Lincoln University of Missouri. Earlier, he was a professor and associate dean at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Dr. LaVergne holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in agricultural education from Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana, a master’s degree in agricultural and extension education from the University of Arkansas, and a Ph.D. in agricultural education from Texas A&M University.
