Academic Vice President Orin Grossman has announced that Dr. Susan Douglas Franzosa, director and professor of the Education Program at the University of Washington, Bothell, has been named dean of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. Dr. Franzosa fills the position left vacant by the death of Dr. Margaret Deignan. Former Dean Antonio Simoes has served as interim dean since last summer.

In making the announcement, Dr. Grossman said, "We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Franzosa to Fairfield. She brings leadership experience in so many areas of education that are important at our Jesuit university, including multicultural education, women's studies, service learning, civic education, and accreditation. She has published extensively and has broad experience in developing curriculum at both the master's and doctoral levels. I know Dr. Franzosa will enjoy working with our excellent faculty in bringing the Graduate School to new levels of accomplishment in the various education and counseling programs."

Before working in higher education, Dr. Franzosa began her career as a teacher at All Saints School in Buffalo, N.Y. She went on to teach at SUNY at Buffalo and Trinity College in Hartford before joining the University of New Hampshire in 1979 as an assistant professor in the Department of Education. She was promoted to professor and named chair of the Department of Education in 1993.

While at UNH, she served as director of the Women's Studies Program, the UNH London Program at Regents College, and the Unit for Professionals in Education. She also chaired the Multicultural Student Affairs Director Search Committee, the University Self Study and Accreditation Steering Committee, the Liberal Arts Promotion and Tenure Committee, and the President's Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women.

In 2004 Dr. Franzosa joined the University of Washington, where, in addition to serving as director and professor of the Education Program at the University of Washington, Bothell, she is a professor in the School of Education graduate program at the Seattle campus. During her tenure there, she served on the Chancellor's Cabinet, the Academic Council, University Promotion and Tenure Advisory Committee, Diversity Council and the Diversity Enhancement Steering Committee.

Dr. Franzosa is the recipient of several grants and fellowships, including a New Hampshire Americorps Learn and Serve Grant in 1996; the New Hampshire College and University Council, "Integrating Service Learning in Teacher Preparation Programs," in 1997; the University of Washington, Bothell, Chancellor's Fund, "Celebrating the Legacy of Brown V. Board of Education," in 2004; and the University of Washington, Seattle, Diversity Support Coalition Grant, "Curriculum Enhancement Project," in 2005.

She is the author of three books, including "Ordinary Lessons: Girlhoods of the 1950s," Peter Lang Publishing, NY, 1999, and "Civic Education: Its Limits and Conditions," Prakken Publications, Ann Arbor, MI, 1988, which both garnered the AESA (American Educational Studies Association) Critics' Choice Book Award. She is at work on "Gold Days and Gray: The Life of Kate Douglas Wiggin."

She served as associate editor of the National Women's Studies Association Journal from 1990 to 1998 and was a manuscript reviewer for Teachers College Press, SUNY Press, and Longman Publishers, among others.

In addition she has written some 20 articles and chapters and over 60 papers and presentations, on topics such as the history of educational thought, civic education, educational equity, curriculum reform, and narrative theory in educational research. Her current research deals with educational autobiography, citizenship education, and the history of early childhood curriculum reform initiatives.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Dr. Franzosa earned a Master's of Education degree in English instruction from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and a Ph.D. in philosophy of education from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Posted On: 04-21-2006 10:04 AM

Volume: $vol Number: $num