Diana Hess
Dean and the Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education
Diana Hess was appointed Dean of the UW–Madison School of Education on August 1, 2015. Under her leadership, the School has experienced notable growth in academic programming, research, and innovation. Dean Hess has an acclaimed background in education; she has been awarded the Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education and is part of the National Academy of Education.
Deans and Senior Staff
Faisal Abdu’Allah
Associate Dean for the Arts
Strategic planning and program support for development of new programs, certificates, and non-pooled programs for arts cluster departments (Art, Dance, Theatre and Drama)
Aydin Bal
Interim Faculty Director, Global Engagement Office
International partnerships, study abroad, visiting scholars, international student support, global engagement, international research
Lisa Barker
Executive Director of PLACE
Office of Professional Learning and Community Education (PLACE), which translates UW–Madison’s educational research into professional and community learning opportunities.
Courtney Bell
Director of WCER
Wisconsin Center for Education Research, directing and planning the grant application process and cultivating WCER’s relationship with university and education communities.
Gary Diffee
Associate Dean for Health
Strategic planning and program support for development of new programs, certificates, and non-pooled programs and graduate student funding, as well as support for health cluster departments (Counseling Psych, Kinesiology, RPSE)
Dorothy Farrar Edwards
Associate Dean for Research
Research, funding for research, grants acquisition for education-related research; human subjects protection, conflict of interest, Education and Social / Behavioral Science Institutional Review Board, grant support, and research funding
Kristen Hendrickson
CFO, Business Office
Strategic investment of resources, budget, and administration; compensation exercises; SoE Human Resources; summer session budget-related issues; facilities and parking
Lisa Jansen
Director of Information Technology
Strategic planning and coordination of information technology infrastructure, services, and support
Christina Klawitter
Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs
Undergraduate advising, career planning and placement, internships, student crisis management, scholarships
Stacey Lee
Associate Dean for Education
Strategic planning and program support for development of new programs, certificates, and non-pooled programs for education cluster departments (C&I, ELPA, EPS, Ed Psych)
Anna Lewis
Director of Academic Technology and Libraries
Strategic planning and support for library, information technology and instructional design services
Percival Matthews
Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Program support related to fostering diverse and inclusive communities; development and implementation of initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; review of existing diversity-related policies
Adam Nelson
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs
Program quality and accountability (program reviews, processes, and rules for approval of new courses, programs, and certificates); senior staff meeting agendas, strategic planning, and support for health cluster departments; summer session
Francesca Rodriquez
Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Research and coordination of initiatives and start-up programs for the dean's office
Marianne Spoon
Associate Dean for Communications and Advancement
Provides leadership and vision for the Office of Communications and Advancement and its team of marketing, communications, and advancement professionals.
Thomas Owenby
Associate Dean for
Teacher Education
Teacher preparation programs, compliance with licensing requirements, liaison to Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, education policy