Five Women Scholars Appointed to Positions as Deans

Renee Cheng will be the next dean of the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington, effective January 1, 2019. She is a professor and associate dean of research in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota. She has been at the University of Minnesota since 2001.

Professor Cheng holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social relations and a master of architecture degree from Harvard University.

Peggy Rajski, an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, has been chosen as the next dean of the School of Film and Television at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, effective June 1. Professor Rajski currently directs the producing program in the graduate film program at New York University.

Professor Rajski is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where she majored in communications. She holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sarah A. Mustillo, professor and chair of the department of sociology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the university. She joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2014 after teaching at Purdue University for seven years. Earlier, Dr. Mustillo taught at the Duke University School of Medicine. She is an expert on the causes of childhood mental illness.

Professor Mustillo is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she majored in sociology and gender studies. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from Duke University.

Carolyn Henry was appointed dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. She has served as interim dean since August 2017. She is the first woman to serve as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Henry joined the faculty in 1997 as an assistant professor of oncology. Since 2011, Dr. Henry has been the associate director of research at the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center.

Dr. Henry holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Auburn University in Alabama.

Emma Dench was appointed dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. She has been serving as interim dean. Dr. Dench is the McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History and of the Classics at Harvard.

A native of York, England, Professor Dench holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in ancient history, all from the University of Oxford.