An NIU women’s interest group administrator will replace Vivian Hammoud as assistant director of affirmative action until the position permantly is filled in January.

NIU President John LaTourette appointed Sharon Howard, University Resources for Women director, to fill the assistant director position in the affirmative action office for a six-month period beginning July 1.

A search for a permanent affirmative action assistant director will begin in September, LaTourette said.

Until a permanant replacement for Hammoud is found, Howard will assist Affirmative Action Director Marilyn Monteiro on sexual harassment issues and will help respond to NIU employee complaints.

oward will continue as director of University Resources for Women in January and will not be a candidate for the affirmative action position.

She has a bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Francis, Joliet and a master’s degree in community mental health from NIU. She is a doctoral candidate in counseling in the college of education.

LaTourette said Howard “has a substantial background in individual and group counseling, and, as director of University Resources for Women, she has developed a number of programs which have measurably improved the environment for women on campus.”

Hammoud was fired in April because of “inconsistencies” in her credentials and since has been charged with two counts of forgery.