The DES is open to all faculty and staff of DePaul University who have retired from the university with 20 years of full-time service and are 55 years or older, or have retired from the university with 10 years of full-time service and are 62 years or older.
The Academy building was turned over to DePaul University, and renamed Byrne Hall. Bygone DePaul | Special Collections & Archives
Introduction
About the DePaul Emeritus Society
DePaulUniversity values its ongoing connections with its faculty and staff retirees, as it values their past contributions to the university’s mission. The DePaul University Emeritus Society was founded in 2008 with the merger of the Staff Emeritus Society and the Emeritus Professors Association. The Society is sponsored by the University’s Office of Mission and Values.
The purpose of the DePaul Emeritus Society is to provide a means for ongoing connection, communication, and socialization between the university and its emeritus faculty and staff, and between individual retirees whose professional lives were for so many years dedicated to university service.
Photos, events, and information of interest to members of the DePaul Emeritus Society will be posted to this blog. Please take a look, add your comment, offer to be an "author" or just enjoy.
CHICAGO — An expert in cancer biology and leader in higher education will serve as the next dean for DePaul University’s College of Science and Health. Interim Provost Salma Ghanem announced April 29 that Stephanie Dance-Barnes will join the DePaul community July 1.
Dance-Barnes currently serves as interim associate provost and dean of the University College of Lifelong Learning at Winston Salem State University in North Carolina, where she also is an associate professor of cell and molecular biology.
Stephanie Dance-Barnes has been named the new dean of DePaul University's College of Science and Health. She'll begin her role on July 1. (Garrett Garms/Winston Salem State University) DOWNLOADWith a background in cancer biology and toxicology, she has received multiple research grants and fellowships for her work to develop improved and targeted cancer therapies. She is the recipient of multiple professional and teaching awards, most recently the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“Dr. Dance-Barnes is a champion for the liberal education approach to learning,” Ghanem said. “She recognizes the importance for students to not only be engaged in dynamic learning experiences, but also the need to be equipped with critical thinking skills that go beyond the classroom. Her extensive administrative and teaching experience combined with her passion for innovative scientific research will be a tremendous benefit for our diverse students at DePaul.”
Originally from the small town of Weeksville, North Carolina, Dance-Barnes first pursued a scientific path at Elizabeth City State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology and pre-medicine. She completed a master’s degree in biology at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She is the first African American female to receive her doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in the area of cancer biology and toxicology.
In her current role as interim associate provost and dean, she oversees an academic unit that provides WSSU students with tools they need to succeed, including advising, TRiO student support services, STEM Learning Center, Testing and Assessment Center, as well as the first-year writing program. As a member of the provost’s senior team, she provides administrative leadership, direction and evaluation for all academic activities and faculty affairs at the university. She also has served as an active member of WSSU’s strategic planning leadership team.
Prior to becoming interim associate provost and dean in 2018, Dance-Barnes was co-chair of WSSU’s Department of Biological Sciences. During her tenure, she spearheaded the redesign of the department’s curriculum, introducing new concentrations that include cell biology, microbiology, pre-health professional, biotechnology and neuroscience. She has led a basic cancer research lab at WSSU since 2010, where she has mentored more than 30 student researchers.
“I am devoted to promoting student success,” Dance-Barnes said. “I feel very blessed to work with so many diverse students who go on to graduate and excel in professional and graduate programs.”
Dance-Barnes joined the faculty at WSSU in 2010, after completing her postdoctoral work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focuses on characterizing the biodiversity of tumors using genomics, molecular genetics and cell biology. She has worked collaboratively with researchers at Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center to secure funding from the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health to support underrepresented undergraduate students in cancer research. She also secured a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish a program for underserved students in third through fifth grade to promote STEM careers.
“As leaders in higher education, it is imperative that we employ efforts to create positive STEM learning environments that empower students with the skills to be competitive in a global arena,” Dance-Barnes said. “One existing barrier is the number of K-12 schools experiencing a shortage of teachers, particularly in science. Developing partnerships between universities and K-12 schools is a major initiative for me.”
Dedicated to student success and inclusive excellence, Dance-Barnes created the Women in Science Program at WSSU in 2011. The program, which provides mentoring and research opportunities for women in STEM, received the 2018 Inspiring Programs in STEM award from Insight into Diversity magazine. Dance-Barnes also received the Inspiring Leaders in STEM award from Insight into Diversity magazine in 2017.
“My core values align with DePaul’s mission,” Dance-Barnes said. “I look forward to working with the faculty and staff in the College of Science and Health to continue to promote DePaul’s growth, development, innovative transformation and successes.”
DePaul’s College of Science and Health is currently led by professor Dorothy Kozlowski, an expert in traumatic brain injury, who has served as interim dean since 2018.
“I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Kozlowski for the dedication she has consistently demonstrated to the university’s mission and CSH students throughout her tenure as interim dean,” Ghanem said. “Her leadership leaves CSH poised for continued success and ready to advance science for the good of public health.”
CHICAGO — For more than 15 years, Tatum Thomas has committed herself to preparing adult and nontraditional learners for the next stage in their careers. Effective July 1, she will serve as dean for DePaul University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
Tatum Thomas will serve as dean for the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. DOWNLOADThomas currently serves as senior associate dean of student affairs at Columbia University's School of Professional Studies in New York City. Prior to her current role, she served as the director of academic services at New York University's School of Professional Studies.
“Leading and designing emerging schools of professional studies is an area of expertise for Dr. Thomas," said Interim Provost Salma Ghanem. “Her deep understanding of nontraditional, urban education will strengthen DePaul's longstanding commitment to serve diverse learners. As a collaborative and innovative leader, Dr. Thomas will continue to advance SCPS, further supporting the success of our adult and nontraditional students."
In her current role at Columbia University, Thomas oversees strategic initiatives to increase quality, retention and student outcomes in the School of Professional Studies. A leader in diversity and inclusion, she managed a first-of-its kind Columbia University HBCU Fellowship program. This successful program invites high-achieving undergraduate seniors to pursue master's degrees, enhancing student readiness with a robust mix of support services and career development opportunities.
“Nontraditional education has been a natural part of my being," said Thomas. “I was an inner-city, first-generation student and the product of multiple institutions that cater to non-traditional learners. I completed my bachelor's degree at night, while holding full-time and part-time positions and raising a small child. I know first-hand that affordability, flexibility, practicality and immediate returns on the investment are essential to adult learners."
DePaul officially launched SCPS in 2019. The school builds upon the work of its predecessors, the School for New Learning and the Office of Continuing and Professional Education. Aligned with the university's strategic plan, SCPS offers nontraditional students a range of lifelong learning opportunities, including credit-hour based, market-responsive professional studies degrees and credentials.
“DePaul's SCPS fulfills the mission of higher education," Thomas says. “We create a place of opportunity and deliver an excellent education without disrupting lives. I appreciate the caliber of DePaul's faculty and their highly visible commitment to lifelong learning and scholarship. I'm privileged to serve in this community."
During her tenure at Columbia University, Thomas launched multiple student service units. She opened the School of Professional Studies' first lifelong learning career center to provide resources for degree and non-degree students, in addition to alumni. The success of the pilot launch led to the opening of a second center in San Francisco. Relationships she has fostered with civic and corporate partners include Morgan Stanley, Turner Construction, the Mellon Foundation, Firelight Media and the Harlem YMCA of Greater New York.
“Dr. Thomas embodies the mission, values and professional impact represented by innovative schools of continuing education,” says Dr. Jason Wingard, dean and professor of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. “She has served as an invaluable partner to me at Columbia - contributing to the preparation of global students for the future of work.”
At NYU's School of Professional Studies, she led key initiatives and programs. Her teams administered graduate degree programs, undergraduate degree programs, and continuing education programs and interacted with accrediting bodies for curriculum administration. As part of this work, she collaborated with department chairs and faculty to manage academic portfolios and launch new programs. Thomas also established a one-stop holistic counseling unit, as well as a judiciary committee to oversee academic integrity at the Division of Programs in Business.
Thomas holds a bachelor's in psychology from Marymount Manhattan College and a master's in higher education administration from Baruch College, City University of New York. She has a doctorate in organizational leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She also earned a certificate of management excellence from the Harvard Business School. She plans to relocate to Chicago in June.
Don Opitz, an alumnus and adult education scholar, has served as interim dean for DePaul's SCPS since July 2018. “Don has led SCPS through a critical time of transition," Ghanem says. “Professional education is a strategic priority for DePaul, and thanks to his expertise, the school will continue on its positive trajectory. I am very grateful for all Don has done for the faculty, staff and students of SCPS."
