I am writing with an update on leadership for the Division of Undergraduate Education. I am pleased to share that Rachelle Germana will serve as Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, while we prepare for a search to replace Elizabeth Newman. As we have previously shared, Dr. Newman has accepted a deanship at University of Texas at Arlington and will be leaving Stony Brook this summer. 

Dr. Germana has nearly 10 years' experience in the Division of Undergraduate Education at Stony Brook, and has worked professionally in higher education for 22 years. As Associate Provost, she leads a variety of divisional and University efforts around student success, including research and initiatives to support student transition, retention, and graduation. Previously, she was the Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate Colleges. She earned her PhD in Sociology from Rutgers University, where she also taught introductory courses on sociological topics, as well as courses involving gender, social identities, and culture and cognition, which are her scholarly areas. Dr. Germana started professionally in higher education in residence life, with a focus on first-year success and later served as a director of a summer academic program at Stanford University. She also taught in the Gender Studies program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and was involved in multi-disciplinary curriculum development and assessment.

Dr. Germana will provide stability, highly competent leadership, and passion for the mission of undergraduate education at SBU that will ensure we maintain and build upon gains in the past few years across all domains of academic student success.

This appointment will begin effective May 1, to allow ample opportunity for coordination prior to Dr. Newman’s departure. 

We will share additional details on a search for a permanent replacement as the fall semester approaches. 

Please join me in thanking Dr. Germana for taking on this role.

Sincerely,
Carl

Carl Lejuez
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs