Faculty members start new leadership posts

Nineteen faculty members take new executive officer positions for 2023-24

Nineteen faculty members have accepted new leadership positions in departments and other academic units within the College of LAS for the 2023-24 academic year.

Executive officers lead each of the almost 70 departments, programs, schools, centers, and other academic units within the College of LAS.

In addition to the new executive officers, five faculty members will take associate and interim assistant dean positions starting with the 2023-24 academic year. These positions help manage operations across the college. This year LAS created an associate dean for research position.

“Our new executive officers and associate deans are experienced, hard-working, and capable members of the college and university,” said Venetria K. Patton, Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS. “With their leadership, LAS will no doubt make strong advances in its missions of teaching and research. I also want to extend our gratitude to those who are leaving the posts. Their dedication and ideas have helped LAS grow its presence as a welcoming and successful environment.”

The new executive officer appointments are as follows:

Flavia Andrade, director, Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies

Eugene Avrutin, director, Program in Jewish Culture & Society

Aaron Benjamin, head, Department of Psychology

Julie Cidell, head, Department of Geography & Geographic Information Science

Candice Jenkins, head, Department of African American Studies

Erik McDuffie, acting director, Center for African Studies (Jan. 1 through Aug. 15, 2024)

Mariselle Meléndez, director, School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics

Harriett Murav, interim director, Program in Comparative & World Literature

Stephen Nesbitt, head, Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Anke Pinkert, head, Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures

John Randolph, director, Russian, East European & Eurasian Center