juli wadeJuli Wade, the new Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, brings a wealth of experience serving in public research universities and a strong commitment to the liberal arts.
“I am a big believer in the value of a strong liberal arts education,” Wade said in her first public interview since joining Rutgers University July 1. “It offers people—no matter what career path they want to go into—skills, creative thinking, communication, writing, multicultural understanding, an appreciation for lifelong learning.”
Wade’s interview with the SAS communications and marketing team can be viewed here.
During her first months, Wade has been getting familiar with the vast expanse of SAS, visiting campuses and meeting faculty and staff. She’s impressed and looking forward to meeting more of the community during the fall semester.
“I think people are smart, they’re creative, they’re innovative, hardworking,” she said. “So it is going to be a lot of fun to begin to work with everyone.”
In addition, she intends to launch a strategic planning process that will involve the entire school.
“That’s going to be a large, comprehensive, inclusive process,” she said. “It’s going to define our priorities, and really help us chart the path for the next five years.”
Wade served previously as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Before that, she worked at Michigan State University for nearly 25 years, serving in many roles including as Associate Provost for Faculty and Academic Staff Development and as chair of the Department of Psychology.
“I spent my whole career at institutions like this; the public land grant research institution,” Wade said. “I believe in the values and the missions; in advancing research, educating the citizens of the state, (and) community engagement.
“All of those things are really important to me.”
Wade is a neuroscientist who seeks to understand the factors that regulate differences in brain structure and brain function over the course of adulthood, and the relationship between brain and behavior. The principal models for her research are zebra finches—songbirds of the Australian desert—and anole lizards.
“There are all kinds of applications to human health,” she said. “Think about brain damage after stroke or injury. We were looking at mechanisms that would facilitate cell survival, cell growth.”
A big fan of college sports, she is ready to cheer on the Scarlet Knights.
“My husband and I went out and bought Rutgers gear,” she said. “So we are ready go.”