Gloria Culver has been appointed to a new five-year term as dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. “Dean Culver’s dedication to the success of our students, faculty, and staff, and her tireless commitment to the School of Arts and Sciences are reflections of the way she lives the University’s vision and values,” says Donald Hall, the Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering. “Her efforts to promote the humanities, celebrate scholarship, and ensure equity for underrepresented groups across the arts and sciences and STEM fields have contributed significantly to the continued growth and success of AS&E. I value her as a key member of the AS&E leadership team and I look forward to continuing our work together.” The Board of Trustees approved Culver’s deanship renewal at its May meeting.
A professor of biology, Culver joined the Rochester faculty in 2007. Her research centers on the assembly of ribosomal machinery essential for growth of all cells. By focusing on bacterial ribosome, she has contributed to understanding how infections might be controlled through selective inhibition of specific control points of ribosomal assembly, which has implications for reducing harmful bacteria, including “super-bugs.” Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and the National Science Foundation. She chaired the NIH Molecular Genetics ‘A’ Study Section as well as serving on other review panels and board committees.
Robert Clark, University provost and senior vice president for research, recommended Culver’s reappointment to the Board of Trustees. He says the work done by Dean Hall and the faculty committee charged with her review recognizes the academic perspective and effective leadership style Culver brings to the role. “Dean Culver combines outstanding research accomplishments in biology with a deep appreciation and commitment to the value of the humanities, arts, and social sciences,” Clark notes. “She is the embodiment of a multidisciplinary approach to education, and I am pleased that she will continue to lead the School of Arts and Sciences.”
Among Culver’s goals in her first appointment was to establish a space that fosters interdisciplinary work and collaboration across academic disciplines. Launched in 2015, the Humanities Center now offers both internal and external fellowships, encourages undergraduate research through its Meliora Scholars program, and hosts a number of academic and scholarly events, including lunchtime seminars and a public lecture series. Culver was also instrumental in securing funding and creating a plan for the new Sloan Performing Arts Center, which is nearing construction and will be home to the University’s Institute for the Performing Arts.
With her reappointment, Culver is setting her sights on expanding space and resources for the natural sciences, particularly with renovations and a new energy efficient addition to Hutchison Hall associated with a NYSERDA solar project. She is also looking forward to supporting new and more diverse research. “I’m thrilled to be reappointed dean of the School of Arts and Sciences,” Culver says. “I’m eager to continue the collaborative relationships we’ve established so we can push toward more multidisciplinary partnerships and expand the opportunities for students, faculty, and staff.”
Before coming to Rochester, Culver served as assistant and associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology at Iowa State University. She received a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Rochester in 1994, after earning a bachelor’s degree in 1988 from Ithaca College.
The School of Arts & Sciences includes more than a dozen programs, centers and institutes and the following departments in the humanities and arts, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences: Anthropology, Art & Art History, Biology, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Chemistry, Clinical & Social Sciences in Psychology, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Economics, English, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, Modern Languages & Cultures, Music, Philosophy, Physics & Astronomy, Political Science, and Religion & Classics.
