Editor’s note: The following message from Interim Provost Janice Nerger was sent to CSU employees on Feb. 27.

Dear Colleagues:

It is my privilege to announce that after a campuswide search which produced an exceptionally strong pool of candidates, Dr. Colleen Webb has been named as the new Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School (VPGAD). Please join me in congratulating Colleen as she prepares to step into this new role effective Wednesday, March 1.

Colleen comes to the VPGAD position well-equipped to succeed after serving as Associate Dean of the Graduate School since 2019. She brings a deep appreciation of what is at stake in continuing to elevate the excellence of our graduate programs and ensure a supportive environment for our graduate students. She is a highly respected advocate for graduate students, and her reputation as a strategic, multi-skilled and service-driven leader precedes her. In addition to her role as Associate Dean, she also has been serving as Interim Director of the One Health Institute since last year and previously served as the Director of the interdisciplinary Graduate Degree Program in Ecology.

During her tenure as Graduate School Associate Dean, Colleen has championed several initiatives focused on graduate student mentoring, diversity, and well-being including conducting the first graduate student mental health gap analysis. She led the development of the CSU Graduate Center for Inclusive Mentoring, helped to establish the Graduate Students of Color and International Students support groups, and developed an assessment for inclusive pedagogy training for graduate students in collaboration with The Institute for Learning and Teaching. She was also instrumental in developing the phased plan to provide coverage of mandatory fees for graduate assistants.

I want to offer my thanks to Dr. Sonia Kreidenweis for serving as Interim VPGAD since last July. Sonia did far more than just “keep the lights on.” She has done an outstanding job of sustaining CSU’s commitment to excellence in all aspects of our graduate programs including through her work on the new graduate assistant fee modeling plan. I personally have benefitted from her collaboration and collegiality.

I also want to thank Dr. David McLean, Dean of the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, for his leadership in guiding a very competitive and successful search. I extend that appreciation to the entire search committee for their commitment and service. Finally, thank you to everyone in our academic community who participated in this process. I am grateful for your thoughtful feedback and valuable contributions.

Sincerely,

Jan

Janice L. Nerger, PhD
Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs