Brenau University’s Executive Director of Academic Initiatives & Student Success Deirdre “Didi” Cassell, was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Georgia for 2025 by Women We Admire.
“I am incredibly honored to be recognized by Women We Admire this year, especially as I take on this new role at Brenau,” Cassell said. “To be included among this group of amazing women leaders is such a humbling experience. I have served Brenau and our students for 10 years in a variety of roles, and have seen first-hand the transformative experience students have as they reap the benefits of higher education. I look forward to empowering new generations of students to succeed in their academic studies and go on to excel in the professional world.”
Cassell will begin new responsibilities as Assistant Vice President of the Undergraduate School and The Women’s College on June 2.
“I am proud that Didi Cassell has been selected for this award in recognition of a decade of successful leadership experience at Brenau and the work she and her colleagues do every day to support our students,” Jim Eck, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, said. “Our university having two leaders selected for this honor in consecutive years says a lot about the quality of the Brenau experience.”
Cassell joined Brenau in a professional role as laboratory director in the Department of Math & Science. She became a full-time chemistry instructor in 2017 and was promoted to assistant professor in 2021. In 2018, she expanded her role to include administrative leadership in academic affairs.
As coordinator of special projects for the Provost’s Office, she chaired the Student Success Team, coordinated the Arader Arts & Sciences Collaborative, and served as campus liaison and faculty fellow for the Sullivan Foundation. She was appointed the executive director of academic initiatives and student success in June 2021.
Cassell is also an alumna of The Women’s College at Brenau, and graduated in 2013. She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Fraternity, serving Brenau’s chapter as academic advisor, and as vice president of communication for the Gainesville, Georgia alumnae chapter.
On the Women We Admire list for Georgia, Cassell is listed among female executives from UPS, Delta, The Coca-Cola Company, and Salesforce. In 2024, Vice President of Student Development and Engagement Whitney McDowell-Robinson, Ph.D., made the Women We Admire list.
