Rosenblith named new dean of Graduate School of Education

Suzanne Rosenblith, associate dean of undergraduate programs and professor of educational foundations at Clemson University, has been named dean of the UB Graduate School of Education.

The appointment, effective July 1, was announced today by UB Provost Charles F. Zukoski, who said Rosenblith emerged from a highly competitive pool of candidates.

“Dr. Rosenblith stood out because of her impressive administrative experience, collaborative approach to leadership, creative ideas for approaching issues facing education programs nationally and clear vision for furthering the Graduate School of Education’s mission,” said Zukoski. “That mission is to improve human development, education and the information environment through research, education and engagement.”

UB President Satish K. Tripathi described Rosenblith as “an ideal candidate to elevate the Graduate School of Education to even greater prominence in the 21^st century.”

“Dr. Rosenblith is an innovative academic leader who is known for her ability to bring big ideas to fruition,” he said. “With her distinguished record of programmatic success, she will surely advance scholarship in the Graduate School of Education and cultivate the next generation of counselors, librarians and educational leaders while serving as an outstanding advocate for our university’s far-reaching vision.”

During a successful tenure at Clemson, Rosenblith was integral to the reorganization and reimagining of the university’ College of Education, Zukoski said. “She helped guide faculty and staff through the strategic planning process, expanded and enhanced the school’s relationship with community partners, grew enrollment,” he said, “and introduced a research focus and digital media and learning emphasis within her department.”

Rosenblith said she is thrilled to join UB and the Graduate School of Education. “The faculty in the Graduate School of Education have a long and impressive reputation for high quality and impactful research. Their collective status as leaders in the field of education – practice, policy and research – is well-deserved.

“I am truly humbled to have the opportunity to work alongside them and extend the work already underway.”

Rosenblith will succeed Jaekyung Lee, who has served as dean of the Graduate School of Education since 2013. Lee will return to his full-time faculty role as professor of counseling, school and educational psychology.

Rosenblith is a prolific scholar widely known for her research on the relationship between religion and public schooling. Her work is grounded at the intersections of educational policy, philosophy of education and educational identity, where she seeks to examine the relationship between religion and education in democratic, pluralist schools.

In 2008, Rosenblith was one of only three people in the United States who was invited to participate in the United Nations Copenhagen conference on "Education for Intercultural Understanding and Dialogue."

During her tenure at Clemson, Rosenblith led the creation or revision of numerous educational programs at all levels in the College of Education, including seven PhD programs, an online Master of Education (MEd) degree, a five-year BA-MEd program, and a transdisciplinary, equity-based STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) initiative. This initiative aimed to diversify STEM disciplines and careers by infusing art and design into educational programs spanning from early childhood through the PhD.

Rosenblith holds a PhD in educational policy studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master’s degree in experiential education from Minnesota State University and a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social sciences from Muhlenberg College.

Zukoski expressed his appreciation to Marsha L. Lewis, dean of UB’s School of Nursing, and all of the members of the search committee for their outstanding service, which he said was vital to the successful outcome of this search.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jaekyung Lee for his excellent leadership of the Graduate School of Education over the past five years,” Zukoski said.