Dear Colleagues,
One of my goals as Dean has been to create more leadership roles for faculty members at all ranks. Over the spring and summer, we posted, and interviewed candidates for, new Assistant Dean and Dean’s Fellow positions. The pool of candidates was outstanding and the choice was difficult, but we’re confident that these new colleagues will very quickly begin making a positive impact on the lives of our students and faculty.
Our New Associate Deans and Dean's Fellow
Abdesalam Soudi, Dean's Fellow for Experiential Learning
Abdesalam Soudi is a dedicated sociolinguist with a keen interest in exploring the intricate relationship between language, society, and technology. He holds a full-time position of Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics. Soudi is the visionary founder and director of the Linguistic Internship Program, a pioneer in the country in preparing students for challenging careers where linguistics is part of the solution, training them in a supportive environment, and strengthening Pitt Linguistics-industry partnerships to facilitate the exchange of knowledge through research and education. Soudi is the Primary Investigator for a Pitt seed-funded project focused on Humanities at Work in the Community, Health, and Tech Industries. He leads the Humanities in Health (HinH) Initiative at Pitt and led the publication of a Pitt special collection on Humanities in Health. Furthermore, he has chaired seven cross-disciplinary conferences. Soudi's comprehensive approach to education not only cultivates academic excellence but also ensures that trainees are equipped and empowered to succeed in a diverse array of careers.
Additionally, Over the past 17 years, and as part of HinH, he has co-directed a master’s level course on cultural competence in medical education through the Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE). His research portfolio spans conversation analysis, medical discourse, human-computer interface, sociolinguistics, electronic health records (EHRs), cross-cultural communication, statement analysis, linguistic diversity, and cultural competency. He also serves as Electus Faculty with the David C. Frederick Honors College. Soudi is the Faculty Lead for a Scholar Community focused on the intersection of health, language, religion, and spirituality (HeaLRS). In addition to his academic roles, he is Lead Developer of The Cultural Engagement Playbook®. His commitment to diversity and inclusion earned him the inaugural Diversity in the Curriculum Award in 2017. He was recognized as an "Honorary Employee" by M*Modal/3M in 2019. His research contributions are evident through publications in various academic journals and magazines. In 2020, he co-edited a volume titled "Diversity Across the Disciplines" and he produced a documentary on the meaning and value of diversity.
Soudi further contributes to fostering diversity, compassion, cultural humility and strengthening human connection as a member of the Dietrich School Faculty Diversity Committee.
Rosemary Capo, Assistant Dean for Recruiting and Belonging, Graduate StudiesRosemary Capo is a professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science. She received her BS and MS in Geology from the University of Texas and PhD in Geochemistry from UCLA, with a focus on strontium isotope stratigraphy. She has over 25 years’ experience in the analysis of natural and produced waters, mineral, soil, and environmental samples, including four years as a postdoctoral researcher and research scientist at the California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Capo’s research integrates field, micromorphological and petrographic analysis with geochemical and isotopic analysis to understand terrestrial processes.
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Professor Todd Reeser, Chair, Department of French and Italian
Related Service Highlights
Director, Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Program
Humanities Council Chair
Dietrich School Council
Provost’s Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Programs
Ad hoc Provost’s Tenure Appeals Committee
Humanities Center Advisory Committee
College of General Studies Council
Associate Dean for Equity, Faculty Recruitment, and Community Engagement
Professor Natasha Tokowicz, Department of Psychology
Related Service Highlights
University Senate representative, Associate Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
University Board of Trustees Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
University Policy Committee: Nondiscrimination, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action Policy
Co-Chair, University Senate Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee
University Senate Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee
Together, and as individuals, this group of scholars brings incredible credentials to the table to complement my own background in the natural sciences, and add to the expertise already provided by Department of Political Science Professor Jon Woon, who will continue as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.
Among them, our new associate deans have been department chairs, program directors, and assistant deans. They have served as representatives on Undergraduate Council, Dietrich School Council, and the school’s Planning and Budgeting Committee. They have been members of University-level committees, governing bodies, and working groups, including the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Programs (PACUP), the Faculty Assembly, and the University Senate. They are the recipients of national and international awards, external research funding, and disciplinary recognition. Most importantly, they have shown a consistent commitment to the success and welfare of our students and to the excellence of our academic and research endeavors.
Additional Leadership Opportunities
Please take the time to meet these new members of our team, who will begin their roles later this summer. We’re also in the process of identifying additional leadership opportunities for faculty--including appointment stream faculty--whether that’s at the assistant dean level or in different advisory positions. It’s a priority for me to make our approach to shared governance and decision-making processes as inclusive and representative as we can for the benefit of the Dietrich School and CGS. To that end, once the team and I have completed our Listening Tour, I can share more about next steps.
I’d like to once again thank outgoing Associate Deans John Twyning and Kay Brummond for their hard work and partnership. They are generous colleagues and I wish them both the best as they complete their terms and prepare to return to their students and scholarly interests.
Have a wonderful rest of your summer. I look forward to seeing you and working with you in the fall.
Sincerely,
Dean Adam Leibovich