NewsonWomen

Joyce Russell Made Vice Dean for Programs at the U Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business

University of Maryland appointed Joyce E. A. Russell Vice Dean for Programs at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Joyce, who holds a Ph.D in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Akron, Ohio, is a Ralph J. Tyser Distinguished Teaching Fellow at the Smith School. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

"Girls Who Code" to help Girls build Skills in Technology and Engineering. Founded by Reshma Saujani

Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code, the organization that is working to help girls build skills in technology and engineering. Girls Who Code is developing a new model for computer science education with a focus on "high-touch mentorship" led by tech industry female developers and entrepreneurs. The low number of women in technology is an incredibly important issue since so much of our future economic growth is dependent on technology, and women need to be a big part of that growth. This is where the jobs will be, so girls need to develop the skills that will allow them to find careers in tech and engineering.

Reshma is successfully focusing attention on the need to attract girls to STEM careers, and she is offering solutions. The Girls Who Code eight-week, intensive summer program will begin in New York in July and feature talks and lectures from industry experts like Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and General Electric CMO Beth Comstock. Read more about it on girlswhocode.com.

Ballerina Susan Jaffe Named Dean of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts "School of Dance".

University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) appointed Susan Jaffe Dean of the UNCSA School of Dance. Susan is a former Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. "Her experience as a principal dancer, choreographer, and teacher makes her the perfect person to take the helm of our wonderful dance school and guide it to further and future greatness," said University of North Carolina School of the Arts Chancellor John Mauceri. Read more in the prnewswire.

Mary Ann Rankin Made Senior Vice President and Provost at the University of Maryland

University of Maryland appointed Dr. Mary Ann Rankin Senior Vice President and Provost at the University. Mary Ann is President and CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, and before that was Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas, and was part of the creation of the UTeach program for recruiting and training math and science teachers. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Dr. Sylvia Maxfield Made Dean of the Providence College School of Business.

Providence College appointed Dr. Sylvia Maxfield the Dean of their School of Business. Sylvia, who earned a doctorate in political economy from Harvard, had been a faculty member at Simmons College and its School of Management in Boston where she chaired their MBA program and served as professor and director of their Principled Leadership Program. Before Simmons, Sylvia taught Business and the International Economy and Comparative Government-Business Relations at Harvard and Yale Universities. Read more in the Providence announcement.

Jennifer Stisa Granick Made Director of Civil Liberties at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School

Stanford Law School appointed Jennifer Stisa Granick Director of Civil Liberties at the Center for Internet and Society (CIS). Jennifer will "lead the Center's work at the intersection of online technologies and civil liberties, with a particular focus on cybersecurity, national security, government surveillance and free speech".  Jennifer had been the Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

2 Ways to Solve the Problems Women Face in Personal Finance: Financial Education Combined with Financial Products, and Virtual Chats.

While the percentage of women attending business schools is rising, many women for whom business school is not an option have no easy access to the kind of financial education they need to manage their finances. This is both an opportunity and a responsibility for banks and other financial institutions. Better educated consumers would of course lead to a better quality portfolio for banks so this should be an obvious win win situation. Yet most banks do not offer financial education with their financial products. Is government involvement like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) the answer? Recently the CFPB has asked for comments on reloadable prepaid payment cards. These cards are becoming more popular and at present, there is no required protection if these cards are lost or stolen, and the fees are not always clearly explained. Big risks here! So why do people use this financial product versus others like debit or credit cards? Does everyone have a good grasp on the differences in these financial products? My guess would be no.

Government regulators should make financial education with financial products mandatory, with bankers explaining the differences in bank products to you and when it is best to use each of them. And by the way, if you have to teach someone about the products, it insures that you understand them well yourself and that also might help avoid some of the catastrophic failures in finance we have seen recently! As a former Credit Executive of a major bank, I know many of the customer acquisition processes don't involve individual review or discussion with the customer. However, many banks have large branch systems and could accomodate more education for consumers with very little additional cost! Now that bank transactions are being done online, there is plenty of space in bank branches to create financial centers for classes and seminars on bank products for all level of customers. This would also be a great product for banks to offer their customers as a way to separate themselves from the pack. When banks say they don't make money on customers who have less than $250,000 in deposits, I say the banks are not looking at the whole picture and may be getting the wrong information! As an experienced banker, I just don't believe that banks can't make money below $250,000, particularly if you look all in with the high credit card rates etc. I suggest they look again. Maybe they need to allocate their costs differently!

Financial education combined with financial products would most certainly help women manage their finances. Other groups are filling in the void that is now left by the banks who don't offer this service. For example, "Women in the Boardroom" is offering an online discussion starting June 5, 2012 called "Financial Storytelling: How to Read Financial Statements & Understand the Numbers".  Taught by Susan Hammond, this event is meant to help educate women entrepreneurs and others understand financial statements, budgeting and forecasting. Many women entrepreneurs are great at sales and marketing, but don't have the financial background to understand the numbers so necessary to run a company. But whether you have a company or not, you still need to understand how to deal with banks, and how to get the most out of your money.

Governments have a tradition of making sure people get the education they need. We have a government funded school system, and if you are a bad driver, in some states you have to go back to driving school! Today's economy requires a more sophisticated approach to money. We aren't waiting for the banks or the government to help women learn about budgeting, finance and financial statements. Check out the upcoming "Women in the Boardroom" events on womenintheboardroom.com.

5 Questions for Jane Mendillo, President and CEO of the Harvard Management Company.

As the school year ends and the Harvard Class of 2012 prepares to change the world, Jane Mendillo, President and CEO of the Harvard Management Company, was interviewed by the Harvard Gazette on a wide range of topics including the importance of being a global investor. Jane talks about where she sees opportunity, how to handle the shaky markets we see in economies around the globe, growing markets like China and Brazil, and the hot topics on everybody's mind today like risk management and sustainability. Read about what she has to say on harvard.edu.

And by the way, Congratulations to the Harvard Class of 2012 and to all the Graduates this year!!

April Gallagher Made Executive Vice President, Institutional Sales and Business Development at Fulbridge - which was Founded by Co-CEO Candice Carpenter Olson.

Fullbridge, Inc. appointed April Gallagher (pictured left) Executive Vice President, Institutional Sales and Business Development. April had been Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for Institutional Markets at Rosetta Stone, the online language learning company. “April has remarkable experience selling educational products to the institutional customer base...” said Candice Carpenter Olson (pictured right), Fullbridge Founder and co-CEO. Candice, who was also the Co-Founder of iVillage continued, “Fullbridge has exceptional tools to assist in guiding students through the transition from college to professional environments.” Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Mary Ellsberg Made Director of George Washington University's Global Women's Institute.

George Washington University appointed Mary Ellsberg Director of their Global Women's Institute. Mary had been Vice President for Research and Programs at the International Center for Research on Women. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Michelle Duguid Researches Women and Whether they Support other Women.

Michelle Duguid, PhD, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Olin Business School at Washington University St Louis and author of “Female Tokens in High-prestige Work Groups: Catalysts or Inhibitors of Group Diversification?”, believes women do not do enough to help each other get ahead. Her research shows that one woman, as a token, can feel threatened and does not necessarily support adding more women to her group. Another common reaction, Duguid says, is that the token woman feels she will be thought of as showing favoritism to a woman candidate and therefore doesn't necessarily support her. Read more on wustl.edu. Do you feel that women support each other enough?

Same Financials, Same Qualifications, Women Still seen as Less Capable and less Interesting to Investors - even by Students.

Lyda Bigelow, Assistant Professor at the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, led a study into the ability of women to raise capital. In a paper entitled, “Skirting the Issues: Evidence of Gender Bias in IPO Prospectus Evaluations,” Bigelow (with co-authors Robert Wuebker, post-doctoral fellow at the David Eccles School ; Leif Lundmark, doctoral candidate at the David Eccles School; and Judi McLean Parks, a professor of Organizational Behavior at Washington University’s Olin Business School) concluded that the “lack of female-led IPOs suggests a potentially larger problem – a gender-based capital gap for new ventures”. They found that “Despite identical personal qualifications and firm financials, female founders/CEOs were perceived as less capable than their male counterparts, and IPOs led by female founders/CEOs were considered less attractive investments.” Read about it on utah.edu. Our education system just doesn't seem to address the problem of bias. Business Schools is a good place to start.

2 Women Get it Done at Harvard and MIT - New Online Learning Joint Venture Announced.

Harvard President Drew Faust (pictured left) and MIT President Susan Hockfield (pictured below right) joined forces to create a new online education experience. Harvard and MIT announced EdX, a joint venture in online education that will "enrich learning and teaching on both campuses and make courses from both institutions widely available to learners around the world, beginning this fall". Through EdX, "Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will collaborate to enhance campus-based teaching and learning and build a global community of online learners". Read more about it in the university press release.

Also of note, Susan Hockfield, who has been the 16th President of the MIT, announced her intention to step down. Susan has been President of the University since December 2004. Read more on MIT.edu.

Cindy Yates Made Vice President of Sales at Schoolwires

Schoolwires, the education technology products company, appointed Cindy Yates Vice President of Sales. Cindy had been with Kaltura, where she led the global EDU sales team. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

MIT Economist Amy Finkelstein Wins the John Bates Clark Medal

The American Economic Association awarded the John Bates Clark Medal to Amy Finkelstein, who teaches economics at MIT. The annual medal is awarded to an economist under 40 who has made a significant contribution. Amy has done studies on the health insurance markets and has focused on Medicare and Medicaid. Read more on mit.edu. (Photo: Ed Quinn)

Penelope Andrews Named First Female President of Albany Law School

Albany Law School appointed Penelope (Penny) Andrews President & Dean, the first female President for the school since it opened in 1851. Penny is currently the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, City University of New York School of Law. See prnewswire press release.

Stanford Math Ed Professor Dr. Jo Boaler - Girls are Good at Math, but They learn it Differently.

Dr. Jo Boaler is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Stanford School of Education. She doesn't ask if girls are good at math. She looks at why the girls aren't learning it as well as boys in some cases. She believes we should be looking at the way we teach math rather than whether girls are good at it. Her answer is as simple as changing how math is taught in the classroom. Read how a different approach to teaching math improves the performance of girls in her presentation made at the Clayman Institue for Gender Research.

"The Status of Women and Girls in California" Report Shows Problems Common in Most States - More Women Needed in Technology and in Politics!

"The Status of Women and Girls in California" Report is being released this Thursday, March 29, 2012. The results of the report, done by Mount St. Mary's College in partnership with the California Commission on the Status of Women, will be discussed at the College on Thursday by a number of high profile women including Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media; Maria Contreras-Sweet, Executive Chair and Founder of ProAmérica Bank; Kimberly Fowler, CEO/Founder, YAS Fitness Centers. (See who else is speaking.) 

Findings of the report confirm the two problems we face in most states, the lack of women in science and technology as well as the lack of women in positions of political power. "Fewer California women than men are pursuing the high-demand, high-wage science, technology and engineering jobs that provide the biggest income payoff". This will only contribute to more disparity in wages. The study found girls to be lagging in science and math at an early age, another problem that must be addressed. Women are also behind in politics. "Women are severely underrepresented in areas of public sector influence, with just 38 percent of the state’s U.S. representatives being female, and only 9 percent of California cities being led by women mayors". 18.7 million women and girls live in California! More of the results will be will addressed on March 29 at the release of the report in Los Angeles. Read more about the results in the prnewswire press release.

Dianne Harrison Named President of California State University, Northridge.

The California State University Board of Trustees today named Dianne F. Harrison President of California State University, Northridge. Diane had been President of California State University, Monterey Bay. Read more in their announcement.

The Battle for Corporate America. How do We Win?

Catherine Tinsley (pictured left), Associate Professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and the Executive Director of the Georgetown University Women’s Leadership Initiative, recently studied the inclusion of women in top management at "midcap" companies, those companies whose sales are $1 billion to 7$ billion. The study was conducted with the Center for Women in Business and the National Chamber Foundation. Her results are reason for dismay. The report showed "Over the past decade, the average percentage of women in the top executive ranks of the mid-cap firms in the United States totaled 5.7%. This number did not come about through consistent growth from 2000 to 2010. Rather, the level of female participation increased through the middle part of the decade and then rapidly dropped in 2009 and 2010." Besides confirming this embarassingly low participation of women in management, the study showed that younger women were hurt more in the decline of the past few years. Is this evidence of the "gender stall"  discussed by Harvard Law Professor Nancy Gertner? While Professor Tinsley's study had good news about the closing of the gender pay gap, women still are not breaking into corporations' top management in sufficient numbers. Jillian Alexander, Business Strategist and Corporate Development Consultant and CEO of Conduit Consulting, (pictured right) believes that the solution to this problem includes better succession planning and companies developing a longer term outlook. "I always believe it is important to look at trends in context of the competitive environment," says Jillian. "While it is very dismaying to see that during 2010 only 4.5% top leadership seats in Mid-Cap companies were filled by women as compared to 14% of such roles in larger public corporations, part of the reason is due to the fact that most current mid-caps were founded by men whom initially filled roles in their organizations with other men like them. Often entrepreneurs value members of their own management team for their tactical skills and friendship, and avoid conflict due to their misbelief that conflict is disruptive, rather than productive. Yet, many of these companies could significantly accelerate growth if they developed more robust strategies -- not only about markets and customers served, products and services offered, but also about their workforce. Establishing policies to fill jobs with the best qualified candidate, and performing succession planning frequently so that all dedicated and effective workers have career paths allowing them to strengthen their knowledge and capabilities, will not only accelerate revenue growth, but also facilitate more women reaching the top echelons of Mid-Cap companies." Jillian finds that "companies which do succession planning typically hire and promote women at rates faster than companies which do not do so, as these companies are more mindful of the benefits of diverse perspective being brought together to develop and deliver more profitable products and services."

Christina Hull Paxson to be President of Brown U.

Brown University appointed Christina Hull Paxson to be the University’s 19th President. Christina is currently Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Christina holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University. Read more in the Brown announcement.

Cecelia Fitzgibbon Made President of Moore College of Art & Design

Moore College of Art & Design appointed Cecelia Fitzgibbon as the College's new President. Cecelia had been a professor, director and department head for Drexel University's Arts Administration and Arts & Entertainment Enterprise programs. See prnewswire press release.

Mary Cullinane Made Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Social Responsibility at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) appointed Mary Cullinane (pictured) Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Social Responsibility, reporting to CEO Linda K. Zecher. Mary had been Worldwide Director for Microsoft's education-related innovation programs and initiatives. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Aristotle Circle, Founded by CEO Suzanne Rheault, acquires Peer2Peer Tutors, Inc

Aristotle Circle, the network of experts for school admission founded by Suzanne Rheault who is also the company's CEO, acquired Peer2Peer Tutors, Inc, the largest peer tutoring company in the country. "Aristotle Circle now has the widest possible breadth and depth of educational consulting services," said Suzanne. "The school admissions process is more competitive than ever, and families require a wide range of services to give their children the best possible advantage". Read more about it in the prnewswire press release.

Ambassador Barbara McConnell Barrett Made Interim President at Thunderbird

The Thunderbird School of Global Management appointed Ambassador Barbara McConnell Barrett as Interim President. Barbara is an award winning business executive and corporate board member, and she has served as U.S. Ambassador to Finland, CEO of the American Management Association, a Fellow teaching Leadership at Harvard, President of the International Women’s Forum, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

Susan Duffy Made Executive Director of the Center for Women's Leadership at Babson College

Babson College appointed Susan G. Duffy Executive Director of the Center for Women's Leadership. Susan, who holds a Ph.D. from The George Washington University (GWU) in Management and Organization, and a Master's Degree in Applied Behavioral Science from the Johns Hopkins University, had been a Professor at Simmons College where she laaunched an undergraduate program in Entrepreneurship. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Veronica Melvin Made President and CEO of LA's Promise

LA's Promise, the nonprofit organization working to shift the education, health and social outcomes for thousands of youth, appointed Veronica Melvin President and CEO. Veronica had been Chief Operating Officer of Communities for Teaching Excellence. Veronica was appointed by President Obama in July 2011 to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence of Hispanics. Read more in the prnewswire press release.

Judith Huntington Inaugurated as President of The College of New Rochelle

The College of New Rochelle, which enrolls over 5,000 students on six campuses across the Greater New York City area, inaugurated Judith Huntington as its 13th President. Judith joined The College of New Rochelle in 2001 as Vice President for Financial Affairs with full responsibility for all fiscal issues involving the College. Read more about it in the prnewswire press release.

Mary Miller Made Capella University Chief Marketing Officer

Capella Education Company (NASDAQ: CPLA) appointed Mary Miller the Capella University Chief Marketing Officer. Before joining Capella, Mary had been Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer  at PetSmart, Inc. Read more in the Business Wire press release.

University of Connecticut new President Susan Herbst wrestles with Sports

Susan Herbst, who became President of the University of Connecticut on June 1, 2011 and is the first woman to hold that position, has a lot to deal with running a university of multiple campuses, more than 28,000 students, and a total operating budget of approximately $1.4 billion. But sports teams in colleges often create most of a college's press and require complicated decisions. So Susan is faced with questions about which conference UConn should play in which will impact the students' travel times and schedules. UConn is known for its women's teams who almost never disappoint like the champions they are. Read more about the conference choices on usatoday.com.