Four Universities Announce the Appointment of Women to Dean Positions

Ariela Sofer was appointed interim dean in the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She was associate dean for administration and faculty affairs at the engineering school. Dr. Sofer joined the faculty at the university in 1984.

Dr. Sofer received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in operations research from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. She received a doctorate in operations research from the George Washington University.

Shaily Menon will be the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. She will begin her new job on July 1. Dr. Menon is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Before joining St. Joseph’s, she served as associate dean for research, facilities planning, and community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.

Dr. Menon earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in animal physiology from Bombay University in India. She holds a master’s degree in animal behavior and ecology from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. in in zoology, natural resources, and anthropology from Ohio State University.

Soyica Colbert was named interim dean of the college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Colbert is the Idol Family Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences and has been serving as vice dean of the faculty. She joined the faculty in 2013. Her latest book, Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry (Yale University Press, 2021), will be released in April.

Dr. Colbert is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Usha Menon was appointed dean of the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida. She will alo serve as senior associate vice president of USF Health. She has served as interim dean since Februry. Dr. Menon joined the College of Nursing in 2018 as vice dean of research. Earlier, Dr. Menon served as a tenured professor and associate dean of research and global innovation at the University of Arizona-Tucson College of Nursing.

Dr. Menon is a graduate of Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, where she majored in nursing. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in nursing science from Indiana University.