CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Sarah T. Lubienski has been named the interim dean of the U. of I.’s Graduate College, succeeding Deba Dutta, who has accepted the position of provost at Purdue University.
A faculty member at Illinois since 2004, Lubienski is a professor of curriculum and instruction and has served as associate dean of the Graduate College since 2012.
She will begin her term as interim dean “designate” July 1 and, pending approval of the board of trustees at its July 23 meeting in Chicago, will become interim dean. She was selected after consultation with college faculty and staff members, the Council of Deans and Urbana Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise.
“Sarah is an accomplished scholar who already is familiar with the issues and workings of the Graduate College and campus as a whole,” said Ilesanmi Adesida, the vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost. “The Graduate College already has a strong foundation and I have every confidence in her ability to maintain those high standards and build on that success.”
Lubienski’s research focuses on education and equity, specifically on math achievement, instruction and reform. Her research has been supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, the Illinois State Board of Higher Education, the Fulbright Program and the U.S. Department of Education. She is the principal investigator and director of the IES-funded Postdoctoral Research Training Program in Mathematics Education.
Lubienski earned her Ph.D. and master’s degree at Michigan State University, and her bachelor’s degree from Northern Michigan University.
Adesida thanked Dutta, the dean since 2009, for his service, noting Dutta had helped to increase internal and external fellowships for graduate students, led the review of the doctoral program and established an office to support postdoctoral researchers.
“Deba has led our Graduate College during a significant time of transformation of graduate education in this country,” Adesida said. “The period under his leadership has been one of academic innovation in both how we prepare graduate students and in how we recruit and support them. We wish him much success.”
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