Jennifer Mueller will become the next dean of the College of Education beginning on August 1, according to Newsline.

Provost Salma Ghanem’s appointment of Mueller was announced on Thursday, April 20. Mueller is currently the College of Education dean at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

“I am honored and humbled to join the DePaul community and the College of Education,” Mueller told Newsline. “I was drawn to the very clear commitment to prepare the highest quality education professionals who actively improve our education ecosystem, ameliorate disparities, improve outcomes and fulfill potential.”

Ghanem said Mueller was the perfect fit for the College of Education because of her “passion for education” and her “leadership experience.”

“Her dedication to teaching combined with her extensive research and grant-writing experience will be of great benefit to the College of Education,” Ghanem told Newsline. “I am happy to welcome her to the DePaul community.”

The dean role has been open since Paul Zoints, the former College of Education dean, stepped down on Dec. 31, 2022. Currently Mojdeh Bayat serves as the college’s interim dean. She will continue in that position until July 31.

“The job of the dean as a leader is very different from that as a leader at any organization, nonprofit, or other part of the school,” Bayat said at a Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on March 2. “It’s all about trust and that takes a lot of time and responsibilities.”

Mueller told Newsline that in her time at DePaul she intends to “lead and nurture colleagues” while partnering with them to “promote and advocate for scholarly activities and research to further enhance the college’s reputation and continue to build on its accomplishments.”

“DePaul’s dedication to community empowerment, inclusion of multiple perspectives and a focus on equity is key as we design toward a more just future,” Mueller told Newsline.

With Mueller’s appointment, DePaul lowers its number of colleges in need of filling dean positions to two. The Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media and the School of Music are still awaiting permanent dean positions to be fulfilled.