The School of Education has a new interim dean-designate: Joanna Masingila, a professor in both the School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Teaching and Leadership department.

She will assume the position of interim dean-designate on Feb. 1.

Interim Chancellor Eric Spina said the selection process began last spring after Dean Douglas Biklen announced he would retire on Jan. 31. Staff and faculty in the School of Education nominated faculty members, Spina said, but he took charge of the selection without a formal search committee because the search was for an interim – rather than permanent – dean.

“There were some very, very good candidates. These things are always close,” Spina said. But, he said, Masingila “gave us the best opportunity to move the school forward during a time of transition” due to her good relationships with the faculty and staff across the institution.

Biklen, who was not involved in the search process, said he was “thrilled” to hear Masingila had been selected as interim dean-designate, adding that her appointment reflects the input Spina gathered from faculty members in the School of Education.

“She has a great reputation as a teacher, as an educator. She’s had federally funded research projects, so she’s done that. She’s a terrific manager, she chairs our largest academic department in the school which is teaching and leadership,” he said.

He added that her work researching and training teachers for work in urban schools will help her with one of her jobs as interim dean-designate: addressing the university’s participation in the Say Yes to Education program.

Masingila is a professor of mathematics education and mathematics with an interest in teacher development.

She said she found out she had been selected as interim dean-designate two weeks ago, after having been one of three finalists for the position.

“I’m excited. I was pleased to be asked. I’m honored to be asked to serve the school,” she said.

She said beginning on Tuesday, she will meet with Biklen to transition into her role as interim dean-designate, in addition to meeting with Biklen and others about the school’s budget, involvement with the Say Yes and other issues.

Biklen said the transition process will involve introducing Masingila to the dean’s roles in developing new programs, management and fundraising, as well as familiarizing her with the details of office operations.

Masingila first began working with Biklen in 1992, when she arrived at Syracuse University as an assistant professor and Biklen was a professor. Since he became dean in 2005, Masingila has worked closely with him in her role as coordinator for the teacher education accreditation program at SU, she said. Masingila said she hopes to continue Biklen’s legacies of work with urban and inclusive education and faculty diversity.

When Chancellor-designate Kent Syverud becomes chancellor of SU in January, Spina will work with him and a search committee to find a permanent dean. Spina said it’s “way too early” to know whether Masingila will be a likely candidate for that position.

Masingila said she has the option to apply, but she doesn’t know yet if she will. First, she said, she’d like to see what the job entails and whether she feels she is a good fit for the position.

Spina said the School of Education has “made a lot of progress over the last decade in terms of the quality of the faculty and the quality of the programs” and that he’d like to see the school continue to progress in those areas. In what he called a time of upheaval in education — with issues like teacher requirements and accountability gaining national attention — he said the School of Education needs to ensure it is working to solve some of the issues facing educators.

“It’s an opportunity for educators under some stress,” he said, “and the School of Education, I think, needs to continue to be aware of those stresses and strengths and ensure that we are providing high-quality academic programs and high-impact research.”

Masingila already has some ideas of how she’d like to help the School of Education move forward. She said she’d like to create a more coherent framework for deciding what technology will be most useful for students and faculty, and for buying and replacing that equipment. She said she’s also interested in the possibility of having an online master’s degree or certificate of advanced study program and more online classes, in addition to continuing Biklen’s work with urban and inclusive education.

“I thank Doug Biklen for his service, his excellent service,” Masingila said. “I’m looking forward to working with my outstanding colleagues in the School of Education as we move forward in serving the education community in our scholarship and teaching.”

Published on November 4, 2013 at 7:01 pm

Contact Maggie: mmcregan@syr.edu