I am pleased to announce that Dr. Mary Loeffelholz, a distinguished scholar of American literature and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs & Director of the Graduate School in the College of Arts and Sciences, has accepted a new appointment as Special Advisor to the President for Faculty Affairs. This two–year appointment will take effect immediately.

Reporting directly to me, Dr. Loeffelholz will serve as a liaison to the University faculty. She will be a resource to the faculty and to me, identifying opportunities to engage faculty colleagues in sharing their input and expertise toward realizing our collective vision. She also will assess the broader patterns of faculty life at Northeastern and advise me on the most effective measures to facilitate success for our entire faculty. In all of these endeavors, Dr. Loeffelholz will work closely with the Office of the Provost and the deans of the various colleges and schools, and faculty leadership.

Dr. Loeffelholz is well suited to this newly created position. She is a long-standing member of the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences and former chair of the English Department who has served in various leadership roles on the Faculty Senate and its committees over the last decades, with a special emphasis on faculty development and academic leadership. Her insight and experience will be invaluable as we continue to forge strong lines of communication between faculty and administration and as we set about implementing our new Academic Initiative. I will continue the ongoing series of discussions with the faculty leadership and the academic units on this and other topics relevant to faculty colleagues that I started last week.

I look forward to working closely with Dr. Loeffelholz in this important new role and I encourage you to share your insights with her. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Mary Loeffelholz.