Committees

Below is a list of CLAS committees and membership for the 2025-2026 academic year.

CLAS Committee on Curricula and Courses

Purpose: to review and approve proposed changes to the College's academic programs and courses

View Committee Membership


CLAS Dean’s Advisory Council for Promotion, Tenure, and Reappointment

Purpose: to evaluate cases for faculty promotion, tenure and reappointment within the College

Humanities and Social Sciences

2-year term (starting)

Margaret Breen, Professor, Department of English

Noel Cazenave, Professor, Department of Sociology

Andy Jolly-Ballantine, Professor-in-Residence, Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies

Françoise Dussart, Professor, Department of Anthropology

1-year term (continuing)

Chih-hwa Kao, Professor, Department of Economics

Matthew McKenzie, Professor, Department of History; Maritime Studies Program; Environmental Studies Program; Avery Point Campus

Life and Physical Sciences

2-year term (starting)

Dean Cruess, Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences

Guozhen Lu, Professor, Department of Mathematics

Margaret Rubega, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Jianjun Sun, Professor, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

1-year term (remaining)

Lisa Eaton, Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Services

Susan Z. Herrick, Professor in Residence, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Victor Hugo Lachos Davila, Professor, Department of Statistics

Senjie Lin, Professor, Department of Marine Sciences; Institute for Systems Genomics; Institute of the Environment; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Jing Zhao, Professor, Department of Chemistry; Institute of Materials Science


CLAS Dean’s (Alumni) Advisory Board

Purpose: to offer expert advice and guidance to the Dean in areas including promoting the College’s achievements, fundraising, and strengthening relationships with alumni

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CLAS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Purpose: to advise the College on how to execute elements concerning DEI emerging from the strategic plan; to guide the formulation of a consistent, transparent, ethical approach to DEI matters in the college; and, to share information, issues, concerns, and accomplishments


CLAS Grade Appeal Committee

Purpose: to manage CLAS student grade appeal requests

Membership

Charles Giardina, Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Gideon Hartman, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology

Tammo Reichgelt, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of Earth Sciences

Brad Tuttle, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism


CLAS Graduate Student Advisory Committee

Purpose: to provide the CLAS Dean’s Office with feedback on matters concerning graduate students in the College

Membership

Mary Grace Albright, Graduate Student, Department of Earth Sciences

Heidi Benham, Graduate Student, Department of Mathematics

Matthew Brown, Graduate Student, Department of Economics

Katie Crowley, Graduate Student, Department of Marine Sciences

Georgia Harbor-Collins, Graduate Student, Department of Mathematics

Catherine Keough, Graduate Student, Department of English

Matthew Leason, Graduate Student, Department of Marine Sciences

Darlis Pantoja-Benavides, Graduate Student, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences

Lia Plankenhorn-Farrell, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology

Chelsea Schroeder, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry

Ozan Sinoplu, Graduate Student, Department of Earth Sciences

Chelsea Smith, Graduate Student, School of Public Policy

Max Sun, Graduate Student, Department of Statistics

Kevin Watson, Graduate Student, Department of Physics

Audrey Weber, Graduate Student, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

Lauren Ziolkowski, Graduate Student, Department of English


CLAS Research Advisory Committee

Purpose: to examine ways the College can effectively meet the research related goals of the Strategic Plan and to advise on efforts to increase research and fully realize the potential of the CLAS faculty

Membership

Haim Bar, Associate Professor, Department of Statistics

Cara Battersby, Associate Professor, Department of Physics

Martha Cutter, Professor, Department of English

Ran Feng, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences

Seth Kalichman, Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences

Rahul Kanadia, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

Yonatan Morse, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science

Jim O’Donnell, Professor, Department of Marine Sciences

Julian Schlöder, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy

Marlene Schwartz, Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences

Jocelyn Steinke, Professor, Department of Communication; Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP)

Carlos Trallero, Professor, Department of Physics

Jill Wegrzyn, Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology


CLAS Scholarship Selection Committee 

Purpose: to assist the College in selecting recipients of CLAS scholarship and fellowship awards

Membership

Alexandru Asandei, Professor, Department of Chemistry

Alaina Brenick, Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences

Andrea Celli, Associate Professor, Department of Literatures, Cultures and Languages

Carlos Garcia-Robledo, Associate Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Thomas Meade, Associate Professor in Residence, Department of Communication

Lijing Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences


CLAS Strategic Plan Advisory Committee

Purpose: to advise the dean in assessing progress toward strategic plan goals, recommend course corrections, and identify new opportunities consistent with the plan

Membership

Andrea Booth, Educational Program Coordinator, Department of Anthropology

Ashley Cortez, Undergraduate Student, Cognitive Science Program

Dylan Jones, Graduate Student, Department of Earth Sciences

Gail Macdonald, Professor in Residence, Department of Journalism

Christin Munsch, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology

Tetiana Ouzounov, Educational Program Administrator, Department of Literature, Cultures, and Languages

Atziri Rodriguez, Undergraduate Student, Department of Psychological Sciences and Political Science

Min Seong Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Economics

Sam Sommers, Assistant Professor in Residence, Department of English and American Studies Program

Jonathan Trump, Associate Professor, Department of Physics

Anastasios Tzingounis, Professor, Department of Physiology and Neurobiology

Catalina Vasquez-Marchant, Graduate Student, Department of History

Manuela Wagner, Professor, Department of Literature, Cultures, and Languages

Jing Zhao, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry


CLAS Student Leadership Board

Purpose: to serve the College's community as liaisons between the dean and the students in order to enhance communications, academic experiences, and alumni connections while embodying the values of a liberal arts education

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