Long to succeed Lisker as associate vice provost for undergraduate education

Janie Long, director of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, will replace Donna Lisker as associate vice provost for undergraduate education.

Long has been in her current role at Duke since 2006 and will step into her new position in July after Lisker leaves to become dean of Smith College in Northampton, Mass.

"Our office was created to better integrate the academic and social dimensions of the student experience," Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, said in a Duke News release. "Janie brings invaluable perspective from her work in both arenas. As a thoughtful scholar with years of teaching, research and advising, she also demonstrated her ability to inspire students to become leaders and bring about positive change."

The position of associate vice provost for undergraduate education involves work with Nowicki on a number of aspects of undergraduate education, including students' academic, residential and extracurricular lives.

In addition to running the CGSD, Long has an affiliated faculty position in the departments of women's studies and sexuality studies. She has also been a pre-major advisor, a member of senior honors thesis committees and is currently a Bass Connections faculty affiliate.

"I have had an amazing eight years at Duke in my current role, and I am now eager to increase my reach to undergraduate students more broadly across the Duke campus and help to shape their experience at Duke," Long said in the release. "My potential to influence the lives of students in positive ways has always driven my passion to be a part of the academy."

The search committee to find Lisker's successor was chaired by Nancy Allen, vice provost for faculty diversity and faculty development. Other members of the committee included Andrew Janiak, Creed C. Black associate professor of philosophy, and Stephanie Helms Pickett, director of the Women's Center.