Graduate Faculty Council Convenes

Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Graduate School Dean Peter Vanable has launched a new Graduate Faculty Council with the start of the spring semester. Faculty from each of Syracuse University’s schools and colleges are appointed to the council to provide representation and work collaboratively with Vanable on strategic initiatives designed to strengthen graduate education at the University.

The council will focus on advancing new initiatives to support graduate student excellence, advance diversity and inclusion goals, promote best practices for graduate student mentoring and graduate program oversight and consider updates to Graduate School policies and procedures.

“The scope of the work considered by the Graduate Faculty Council is expected to evolve over time, as council members bring to the table learnings and feedback from their respective school or college,” says Vanable. “Our initial focus areas will include the consideration of potential changes in policies for graduate student funding, advancement of approaches to optimizing faculty mentoring of graduate students and a review of plans to promote selective growth in Ph.D conferrals.”

Council members are faculty members who were selected based on a nomination process in each school and college. Each was required to provide evidence of excellence in graduate level teaching and mentoring. Final approval for appointment to the council required approval by the faculty member’s department chair, dean and Vanable. Council members will each serve a three-year term.

The 2020 Graduate Faculty Council includes:

• Biao Chen, professor of electrical engineering and computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science;
• Melissa Chessher, professor and chair of magazine, news and digital journalism in the Newhouse School;
• Rashmi Gangamma, associate professor of marriage and family therapy in the Falk College;
• Rachel Hall, associate professor and graduate coordinator in communication and rhetorical studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts;
• Seth Jolly, associate professor and director of graduate studies in political science in the Maxwell School;
• Arlene Kanter, professor, director of the Disability Law and Policy Program and faculty director of international programs in the College of Law;
• Burak Kazaz, Steven R. Becker of Supply Chain Management in the Whitman School;
• Tiffany Koszalka, professor of instructional design, development and evaluation in the School of Education;
• Brian Lonsway, associate professor and graduate chair in the School of Architecture;
• Shalabh Maroo, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science;
• Dawit Negussey, professor of civil and environmental engineering and Graduate Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Engineering and Computer Science;
• Brice Nordquist, assistant professor and director of graduate studies in writing, rhetoric and composition in the College of Arts and Sciences;
• Steve Sawyer, professor and director of doctoral programs in the School of Information Studies;
• Rebecca Schewe, O’Hanley Faculty Scholar and associate professor of sociology in the Maxwell School; and
• Nancy Totah, associate professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.