GradEdge: Summer 2025
Message from new CGS President Chevelle Newsome
Hear from Chevelle about her plan for laying a foundation for a bold new strategic plan to be launched in 2026. This plan will reflect CGS and its members’ shared commitment to excellence, access, and innovation.
Her letter also discusses how CGS will focus on four key priorities that will guide CGS’s work as we develop a plan for reimagining the graduate education landscape.
Introducing the New CGS Board Chair: Michael Solomon
The Council of Graduate Schools is pleased to announce the new Chair of the Board of Directors, Michael Solomon.
Solomon has served on the board since 2023 and became its chair-elect earlier this year. He began as Board Chair on July 1, 2025 after Chevelle Newsome stepped down to become president of CGS.
Q&A: How Washington University in St. Louis Supports International Students
GradEdge invited Vijay K. Ramani, Senior Vice Provost for Graduate Education and International Affairs; Geet Vanaik, Executive Director of OISS; and Jessica Cissell, Assistant Provost for Graduate Education and International Community, of Washington University in St. Louis, to tell CGS about their Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) and how they are supporting their international students during this year’s many policy changes.
The Featured Course: A Strategy to Incentivize Faculty Collaboration on Interdisciplinary Graduate Courses
Kevin Evans, Maria Henriquez and Cheryl Johnson in the Office of Graduate Studies and Innovation at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University, write in to tell CGS about their efforts at curating an interdisciplinary environment and related programming with the development of The Featured Course.
They describe how the program was developed, how they recruited faculty, got support for resources and how students have embraced the course.
Mark Your Calendar for the Biggest Event in Graduate Education
Save the date for CGS’s 65th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on December 3-6, 2025. You won’t want to miss this unique forum where graduate education leaders gather to connect and learn from peers and thought leaders on issues driving graduate education.
At this year’s meeting, explore timely, practical sessions for all graduate institutions: teaching entrepreneurial mindsets to graduate students, developing bold new models of graduate education, navigating issues of campus free speech and much more. Pre-meeting workshops and the CGS opening reception kick off the meeting on December 3. The meeting continues December 4–6 with plenary sessions, concurrent sessions, the annual awards ceremony luncheon and a networking reception on Thursday evening.
Registration will open in mid-August so watch your inbox for more information from CGS. We can’t wait to see you at the Nation’s Capital in December.
GradImpact: How Kadeeja Murrell wants to improve Black Maternal Health
For Kadeeja Murrell, research has never been just academic—it’s personal, purposeful, and deeply rooted in community. From early interests in cardiology to her current work developing tools for assessing social safety in Black maternal healthcare, her journey reflects both scholarly curiosity and a commitment to systemic change in communities across the country.
Now entering her fourth year of doctoral studies at Arizona State University, her dissertation focuses on creating a scale to measure social safety—the perception of safety and trust—in maternal healthcare environments for Black women.
The Role of Dean-In-Residence at the Council of Graduate Schools: A Pathway for Impact Beyond the Campus
CGS’s current Dean-In-Residence Janet Rutledge shares her experience in the role, the projects she worked on and why participating in the program allows graduate education leaders to continue shaping graduate education on a national scale — and give back to the community that supported their leadership journey.
Read her article to learn more about the Dean-In-Residence program.
Deadlines Approaching for Two Key Member Awards
There is still time to nominate innovative colleagues for CGS awards that will be presented at the Annual Meeting in December.
ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education
The deadline for applications is September 5, 2025.
Assistant and Associate Dean Leadership Award
The deadline for nominations is August 29, 2025.
Feature GradSense in your Fall Newsletters to Grad Students
Graduate students need smart financial plans to succeed in grad school. Help them make one with GradSense, a free CGS resource that helps students get the information they need to make informed financial decisions throughout their grad school journey.
A GradSense Member Toolkit is available for you to use in promoting GradSense with your current or prospective students.
New 2025-2027 State Snapshots are Available
New CGS Leaders and Members
New Graduate Education Leaders
- J. Larry Lyon, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, Baylor University
- Ofosuwa Abiola, Dean of the Graduate School, Bowie State University
- Lisa Saltzman, Interim Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Bryn Mawr College
- Reginald Ellis, Dean, Office of Graduate Education, Clark Atlanta University
- Timothy Callahan, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, College of Charleston
- Thomas Lewis, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Cornell University
- Gwendolyn Scott-Jones, Dean of Graduate, Adult and Extended Studies, Delaware State University*
- Angela Jacobs, L.M. Hamand Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Sponsored Research, Eastern Illinois University
- Claudia Petrescu, Associate Vice President for Graduate Education and Internationalization Initiatives, Illinois State University
- Carlos Wilson, Interim Dean, Division of Graduate Studies, Jackson State University
- Andrea Porter, Interim Dean, Graduate School, Jacksonville State University
- Phillip Payne, Acting Dean, Graduate School, Kansas State University
- Scott Sheridan, Interim Dean, Graduate College; Interim Associate Provost, Academic Affairs, Kent State University
- Johannes Strobel, Dean of the Graduate College, Missouri State University
- James Ahern, Dean of the Graduate School, Northern Illinois University
- Marisol Perez, Dean, Graduate School, Old Dominion University
- Gregg Van Ryzin, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, Rutgers University, Newark Campus
- Michelle Brune, Interim Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, Southeast Missouri State University
- Caroline Sherman, Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Dean of Graduate Studies, The Catholic University of America
- David Schneider, Interim Dean of Graduate School, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Saba Ali, Interim Associate Provost for Graduate and Professional Education, Dean of the Graduate College, The University of Iowa
- Ric Steele, Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, The University of Kansas
- Marieke Van Puymbroeck, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- Heather Trepal, Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School, The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Ryan White, Interim Dean of the Graduate College and Interim Vice Provost of Graduate Education, University of Cincinnati
- Brandi Frisby, Acting Director of the Graduate School and Associate Provost, Academic Affairs, University of Kentucky
- Christa Porter, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Karen Gould, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Soojung Kim, Interim Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, University of North Dakota
- Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, Vice Provost for Graduate Education, University of Pennsylvania
- Bryan Porter, Dean of the Graduate School, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Carolyn Pepper, Interim Dean, School of Graduate Education, University of Wyoming
- Tracy Morris, Associate Provost for Academic Personnel and Interim Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs, West Virginia University
*Graduate education leader at new or returning CGS member institution
Returning Member
- Delaware State University, Regular Institutional Member, Dover, DE
