Updates from Academic Affairs

Welcome to the end of the academic year, a year marked on this campus by your collective resilience, creativity and empathy. I write now to share several updates in Academic Affairs.

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Pendras will serve as Interim Dean of the School of Urban Studies during the coming year.  Currently serving as Associate Dean and having been faculty in Urban Studies since 2006, Mark comes to this role as a highly respected citizen of the school, the campus and the university.  He is well-positioned to lead the school with grace and wisdom and to help navigate any transitions in the year ahead. The chancellor and I are also grateful for Interim Dean David Reyes’ steady, clear and compassionate leadership and advocacy over the past two years on behalf of Urban Studies.  

I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Menaka Abraham, Teaching Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology and Interim Executive Director of the Office of Undergraduate Education, will be our next permanent Executive Director of that office.  Menaka has held leadership roles on campus as Faculty Assembly Chair and Vice Chair, led the development of our current Academic Plan, and has been committed to student success at UW Tacoma for two decades. My thanks to the search committee for their inclusive and thoughtful process and to the many members of the campus community who participated in that search. 

We wish both of them success in these roles.

I want to recognize and celebrate the faculty who have received tenure and promotion this year, meaningful milestones that reflect their impact and the values of our campus community:

Promotion to Associate Teaching Professor

• Miranda Kucera, School of Education
• Thillainathan Logenthiran, School of Engineering and Technology
• Allen Olson, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
• Hui Suk So, Milgard School of Business
• Michael Turek, Milgard School of Business

Promotion to Teaching Professor

• Charles Costarella, School of Engineering and Technology

Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor

• Anna Maria Groat Carmona, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
• Hee-Seok Kim, School of Engineering and Technology
• Seung-Jin Lee, School of Engineering and Technology
• Jessi Quizar, School of Urban Studies
• Zhiquan Shu, School of Engineering and Technology
• Jeff Walters, School of Engineering and Technology
• Jenny Xiao, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences

Promotion to Professor

• Bonnie Becker, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
• Vanessa de Veritch Woodside, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
• Barb Toews, School of Social Work and Criminal Justice

Congratulations to them all!

I look forward to seeing you on Friday as we celebrate our students and their families and friends at Commencement. Thank you all for helping to make their success meaningful and possible.