Dear SLU Community,
I am very happy to announce the appointment of Dr. Rita “Kiki” Edozie as Associate Dean for AcademicAffairs at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.
Dr. Edozie brings more than 25 years of distinguished academic leadership, a commitment to public service, and a deep belief in the mission of public higher education. Most recently, she served as Professor of Global Governance and Interim Dean at theMcCormack School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her previous leadership roles include Professor of International Relations at Michigan State University’s James Madison College of Public Affairs; Director of African American and African Studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters; and Deputy Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
A highly respected scholar, Dr. Edozie is the author of several books and numerous scholarly articles on global development, comparative democratization, African affairs, urban studies and policy, and race and identity.
Dr. Edozie’s experience in faculty development, student success, curriculum innovation, and strategic planning will be invaluable as SLU continues to grow. She shares SLU’s vision of building a more just and equitable society through higher education. She is also a proud CUNY alumna who earned her graduate degree from Brooklyn College and later earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from the New School for Social Research.
As our Associate Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Edozie will oversee a wide range of areas, including curriculum and new academic initiatives, faculty development, student admissions and retention, academic advisement, student services, career counseling, experiential learning, library services, and instructional technology.
Dr. Edozie’s appointment follows a months-long search. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Elizabeth Sergile for serving as Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs since January. Liz has been an extraordinary partner during this transition, and I thank her for her dedication, leadership and thoughtful and caring ways.
Liz also chaired the Search Committee, and I want to thank her and the entire committee for their time, insight, and commitment in helping to identify SLU’s newChief Academic Officer. The Committee included: Antoinette Isable-Jones, Penny Lewis, Steve London, Stephanie Luce, Rochel Pinder, and Burt Sacks. My deepest thanks to each of you.
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Kiki Edozie as she steps into this new chapter at SLU.
Greg
Gregory Mantsios, Ph.D.
Founding Dean
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies