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WHO WE ARE

The Office of the Dean of Faculties strives to achieve and preserve a university environment in which faculty feel inspired and enabled to reach their full potential. This office facilitates and observes fairness and equity in the recruitment, evaluation and advancement of faculty and academic administrators. The Office of the Dean of Faculties is committed to academic freedom, shared governance, excellence and the common good.
 

  • Improve faculty climate to attract high quality faculty, increase retention, enhance creativity and productivity, and facilitate the advancement of all imperatives and goals of Vision 2020 and the Academic Master Plan.

  • Improve all forms of faculty evaluation protocols, including their implementation and monitoring to ensure adequate and full consideration of individual faculty merits, fairness and equity, and respect for academic freedom.  Texas A&M University cannot aspire to become a leading, world-class university without preserving the most basic tenets of fair play and freedom of inquiry.

  • Align indicators of faculty excellence with Vision 2020 and the Academic Master Plan with the goals to:

    • Elevate our faculty’s teaching, as well as their research and scholarship endeavors;

    • Diversify and globalize the A&M community;

    • Strengthen the scholarship and diversity of our graduate programs;

    • Enhance the undergraduate experience through exposure to better and more diverse scholarly teachers, and

    • Meet our commitment to Texas by augmenting the relevance, quality and quantity of the service and engagement activities of our faculty.

  • Monitor, prioritize, demand and improve the commitment to and the quality of faculty participation in shared governance. Vision 2020 calls for transparency and collaboration between the administrators of the System and the University and all other university constituencies.
  • Elevate and diversify the quality of the faculty through development and training initiatives aimed at improving our hiring, mentoring, faculty evaluation, teaching, and engagement practices.
Service: We operate with an attitude of excellence in all that we do and we are committed to providing the highest quality customer service.  We are passionate about our work and we strive to go the extra mile.

Teamwork: We value diversity and we promote collaboration, information, and unity.    We are dedicated to our team and to working generously toward our common goals.
 
Accountability: We uphold the highest moral and ethical standards. We demonstrate a commitment to honesty, integrity, and discretion.
 
Respect: We value differences and we exhibit sensitivity and compassion. We treat everyone with dignity and courtesy
  • Promotion, Tenure and Development of Faculty
  • Appointment, Evaluation and Development of Academic Administrators
  • Advocacy for Women and Minority Faculty
  • Recruitment and Retention of Faculty
  • Faculty Development Leave
  • Appointment and Evaluation of Endowed and Distinguished Professors
  • Retirement Preparation Programs
  • Recognition & Awards Programs
  • Partner Placement

MEET THE ADMINISTRATION

John R. August, BVetMed, MS, MRCVS
Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost
j-august@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274

Meet the Dean
Blanca Lupiani, Ph.D.
Executive Associate Dean of Faculties
blupiani@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274


Dr. Blanca Lupiani received her Ph.D. in 1994, as a Fulbright Scholar, from the University of Maryland, College Park.  She subsequently did post-docs at the Agriculture Research Service in Beltsville, MD, and East Lansing, MI and at Michigan State University.  Dr. Lupiani joined Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor in 2002 and is currently a full Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.
 
Dr. Lupiani was appointed Executive Associate Dean of Faculties on February 2016 after serving as Interim Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost for 7 months and as Associate Dean of Faculties from March 2012 to July 2015.  Dr. Lupiani has received numerous honors and awards including ADVANCE Administrative Fellow, SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellow, and Fulbright Scholar.
 
Dr. Lupiani’s research focuses on investigating molecular mechanisms of virus pathogenesis and better understanding the ecology and evolution of avian influenza viruses.  Her research has resulted in over 70 peer reviewed publications and has been funded by grants from federal and state agencies, as well as private foundations. Dr. Lupiani’s research has led to the development of vaccines to control leukemia in chickens for which two U.S. patents have been granted. She serves on the editorial board of the journal Avian Diseases, has been on the guest editorial board of a number of special issues, and has served as a reviewer for numerous national and international scientific journals and funding agencies.

Mario Rojo del Busto, LL.M.
Associate Dean of Faculties & Chief of Staff
Director of Immigration Services for Faculty and Scholars
mrbusto@tamu.edu  | 979.845.4274

The Associate Dean of Faculties and Chief of Staff is responsible for directly assisting and providing the necessary recommendations to the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost as it relates to faculty hiring processes, risk and compliance matters, policy review, development and implementation, HR matters, business plans, processes and procedures, and any other matters as required by the Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost. The Associate Dean of Faculties is also responsible for overseeing the operational area of Faculty Administration and Records as well as all facets of the daily operations of the office ensuring compliance with System policies, regulations and rules. In addition, the Associate Dean of Faculties is responsible for directing the University's nonimmigrant and immigrant faculty, scholar, and staff employment caseload, including the Galveston and Qatar campuses, and providing assistance to 18 Texas A&M University System members (universities and agencies) regarding immigration employment matters.
Wilkinson-Photo2.jpgHeather Wilkinson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Faculties
h-wilkinson@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274

Dr. Heather Wilkinson graduated in 1996 with a Ph.D in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She subsequently trained as a postdoctoral scholar and Research Assistant Professor in Plant Pathology at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Wilkinson joined Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor in 1999 and is currently a full Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 
Dr. Wilkinson was appointed Associate Dean of Faculties in March 2017. Her responsibilities are faculty development focused, including both direct development and implementation of programming and oversight of the Directors for Instructional Technology Services (ITS) and the Center of Teaching Excellence (CTE). In 2016 Dr. Wilkinson received the Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award at the College-Level for Teaching.  She served as a Faculty Fellow in the Office of the Provost, an ADVANCE Administrative Fellow, and an AgriLife Advanced Leadership Fellow.
 
In her research Dr. Wilkinson and her students investigate the genetic basis of adaptation for a wide variety of microbes, including genetic models, plant symbionts, and soil communities from extreme environments. Throughout her career Dr. Wilkinson has emphasized providing training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in her research program. Dr. Wilkinson has served as an Associate Editor for Fungal Genetics and has served as a reviewer for many scientific journals and funding agencies. Dr. Wilkinson has developed four courses and taught seven in the Bioenvironmental Sciences (BESC) program. Further, she has played an instrumental role in the design and implementation of the curriculum, assessment, and the industry-partner outreach programs for her department. She continues to lead the Curriculum and Assessment Committee, serve as faculty liaison for the Bioenvironmental Sciences Professional Board, and teach three BESC courses.


MEET THE STAFF

Sandra Harnden
Senior Faculty Affairs Coordinator

csh811@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274
dof@tamu.edu
awardsprograms@tamu.edu
facultydevelopment@tamu.edu
dfoc@tamu.edu
advance@tamu.edu
ttlc@tamu.edu

Areas of Expertise:
Academic Affairs Business Services Liaison
ACRIC Investigator
Board of Regents Agenda Items (Emeritus & Tenure on Arrival)
Credentialing
Data Requests/Qualtrics
Dean Reviews
Distinguished Professors
Faculty Awards
Faculty Development Leave
Faculty Evaluation (Annual, Promotion & Tenure, and Post Tenure Review)
Faculty Trainings and Events (Search Committee Training & Department Head Workshops)
New Academic Leaders Orientation
New Faculty Orientation
Partner Placement
Regents Professor  
Retirement Dinner
Support for Civil Rights and Title IX Grievances
Support for CAFRT
Support for UGC Grievances
Calendaring for Dr. Blanca Lupiani and Mr. Mario Rojo del Busto
Tenure & Promotion

 
Kelly Drake
Faculty Affairs Coordinator

kdrake@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274

Areas of Expertise:   
Credentialing
Chairs and Professorships
Faculty Hiring
Faculty Reappointments
Faculty Reclassifications
Faculty file Management
Faculty Trainings and Events (Search Committee Training & Department Head Workshops)
In-Excess of 100%
Joint Appointments
New Academic Leader Orientation
New Faculty Orientation
Retirement Dinner
Tenure on Arrival  
Tenure & Promotion
Maria Murphy
Senior Faculty Affairs Coordinator

maria.murphy@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274
facultyhiring@tamu.edu

Areas of Expertise:
Credentialing
Faculty Hiring
Faculty Reappointments
Faculty Reclassifications
Faculty file Management
In-Excess of 100%
Joint Appointments
Support for CAFRT
Support for UGC
Support for Civil Rights and Title IX Grievances
Tenure on Arrival     
Jennifer Hammel
Administrative Coordinator I

jhammel@exchange.tamu.edu | 979.845.4274     

 
Gretchen Philipp
Administrative Coordinator I

gphilipp@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274  

 
Lauren Ware
Administrative Coordinator I

lauren.ware@tamu.edu | 979.845.4274