The University of Arkansas Appoints Two Women to Dean Positions

The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville has announced that Kim Needy will serve as dean of the College of Engineering and Patricia Koski will be the dean of the Graduate School and International Education.

Dr. Needy has been serving as the dean of the Graduate School and International Education. She will be the first female to lead the College of Engineering as dean. Dr. Needy is a national leader in the field of industrial engineering and has led the graduate school since 2014, including a one-year interim appointment as vice provost for research and innovation.

“I am honored to accept the College of Engineering deanship,” Dr. Needy said. “I acknowledge the great responsibility that has been placed upon me being the first woman to serve in this capacity. I embrace this challenge with enthusiasm at the prospect of serving the excellent College of Engineering administration, faculty, staff, and student body.”

Dr. Needy holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas.

Dr. Koski has served as the associate dean of the Graduate School and International Education since 1998. During her tenure, Dr. Koski has led efforts to increase diversity at the university, to create interdisciplinary graduate degree programs, and to strengthen retention and graduation rates.

“The opportunity to lead the Graduate School and International Education is both humbling and exciting,” Dr. Koski said. “The importance of the dual aspects within the unit — graduate and international education — are more vital to our university than ever before, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty and staff to support our students’ efforts.”

Dr. Koski was born and grew up in Spokane, Washington.  She received bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in sociology from Washington State University.