Following one year of service as interim chancellor, Gabriella Scarlatta has been recommended as the next permanent chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Pending approval by the University of Michigan Board of Regents, Dr. Scarlatta’s appointment will begin on May 22.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Michigan-Dearborn enrolls nearly 6,200 undergraduates, 49 percent of whom are women. The university also has a graduate population of roughly 1,900 students.
Prior to being named interim chancellor in May 2025, Dr. Scarlatta served as UM-Dearborn’s provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. A faculty member in the French studies department since 1996, she previously served as associate dean of the university’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. Dr. Scarlatta’s scholarship centers on the French and Italian Renaissance and early women writers. She is the author of several books, including Representing the Life and Legacy of Renée de France: From Fille de France to Dowager Duchess (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021).
“I am tremendously honored to be recommended as the seventh chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, my professional home for nearly 30 years,” said Dr. Scarlatta. “I look forward to leading the university during this pivotal time for higher education.”
Dr. Scarlatta completed her undergraduate degree in modern languages from Université de Savoie in Chambéry, France. She earned her master’s degree in French and Italian literatures and her Ph.D. in modern languages from Wayne State University in Detroit.