The Dean’s Office
The Dean's office includes the Dean, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, and supporting staff. All of us work with faculty, staff, and students from around the campus and with other University offices to ensure the excellence of graduate education at the University of Michigan.
Dean Janet A. Weiss
Dean, Rackham Graduate School and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
Dean Weiss is the Mary C. Bromage Collegiate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Public Policy. She holds faculty appointments in the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
Associate Dean Sara Blair
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives
Sara Blair serves as the primary liaison between the Graduate School and academic units in humanities and the arts. She works closely with these programs to assess and promote good practices in graduate education and achieve student success.
Associate Dean Tabbye M. Chavous
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives
Dr. Tabbye Chavous serves as the primary liaison between the Graduate School and academic units in the social sciences. She works closely with these programs to assess and promote good practices in graduate education and achieve student success.
Associate Dean Peter Hitchcock
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives
Peter is very involved in graduate and postdoctoral training at Michigan. In addition to trainees mentored in his laboratory, Peter was a former Director of the Neuroscience Graduate Program, the founding Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Studies at the Medical School, and he currently serves as the Director of Michigan’s Vision Research Training Program.
Associate Dean Michael J. Solomon
Michael J. Solomon is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Macromolecular Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan. He became Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Initiatives at Rackham in January, 2013.
Assistant Dean Shelly Conner
Assistant Dean for Academic Planning and Policy
Shelly Conner, Ph.D. is an Assistant Dean at the Rackham Graduate School where she provides analytical support of budgets, policies, and procedures for the Dean. She serves as the Graduate School liaison to graduate programs about program quality; institutional research; services for students; student funding; and the recently revised registration policy. Dr. Conner also contributes to multiple university-wide initiatives, such as child care for graduate student parents and benefits for doctoral students.
Assistant Dean John Godfrey
Assistant Dean for International Education
Dean Godfrey’s responsibilities include international issues of graduate education, oversight of the Graduate School’s support for research training grants, academic policy, and developing initiatives that respond to changing needs of graduate education.
