LEADERSHIP SEARCH

Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

Dr. Christa Porter
Dr. Christa Porter, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Dear UMBC Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Christa J. Porter as the next vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. Christa joins UMBC on July 1 from Kent State University in Ohio where she serves as the interim dean of the Graduate College and as a faculty member.

The vice provost and dean of the Graduate School is a key position in serving the university to guide the future of graduate education and graduate student success at UMBC. Christa is a collaborative leader who brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to inclusive excellence and student success to the role. She brings substantial administrative experience at the department and university level, working across colleges and divisions in a shared governance environment.

As we embark on strategic planning, Christa also has significant experience in this space. In addition to her administrative experience, Christa brings a very strong record as a faculty member. Christa is a nationally recognized scholar, teacher, and mentor. Her areas of expertise include the socialization and trajectory of Black women in higher education, student development at the intersections of identities, and research and praxis in higher education and student affairs. In addition to serving as the next vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, Christa will also have a faculty appointment in the Language, Literacy, and Culture doctoral program.

Christa earned a Ph.D. in college student affairs administration and an interdisciplinary qualitative research studies certificate at the University of Georgia, a M.A. in higher education from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.A. in social relations and policy from Michigan State University.

I want to give a special thanks to Jeffrey Halverson, who has selflessly served as the interim vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. His thoughtful leadership has been invaluable during this season of transition. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Ana Oskoz for chairing the search committee and everyone who was involved in the search process. I appreciate your continued commitment to graduate education at UMBC.

Please welcome Christa to the UMBC community as she returns to Maryland.

Sincerely,

Manfred H.M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ana Oskoz, Chair
Office of the Provost
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Tolulope Ale
PhD Graduate Student, Information Systems
Research Assistant, NSF HDR Institute for Harnessing Data and Model Revolution in the Polar Regions (iHARP)
Jennifer Artis
Division of Student Affairs
Senior Director of Student Belonging
Lee Blaney
College of Engineering and Information Technology
Associate Director of Sustainability Engineering; Professor, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering; and Liaison to the University System of Maryland Vice Chancellor for Environmental Sustainability 
Viridiana Colosio-Martinez
PhD Graduate Student
Program Associate, Inclusion Imperative, and Graduate Assistant, Department of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication
Robin H. Cresiski
The Graduate School
Associate Vice Provost, and Affiliate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Belay Demoz
College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences
Director, Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, Professor, Department of Physics
Pam Hawley
Enrollment Managment
University Registrar
Rex Jarrett
Division of Professional Studies
Director
Mouhamed Oloude
PhD Graduate Student
Mathematics and Statistics
Lira Yoon
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology