February 5, 2004
Elizabeth Feetham appointed acting dean of the Graduate School
President Lee Huntsman has appointed Elizabeth L. Feetham, associate dean for student affairs in the Graduate School, as acting dean of the Graduate School. The appointment is subject to approval of the Board of Regents at the Feb. 20 meeting.
Feetham, who is also affiliate assistant professor of English and director of the Preparing Future Faculty Project at the UW, succeeds Dean Marsha Landolt, who died Jan. 2 in an avalanche in Idaho.
“Marsha’s loss was devastating, on many levels, but the Graduate School needs to continue to serve our graduate programs and students,” said Huntsman. “Betty Feetham is a veteran and knows the work of the school as well as anyone. Her leadership will help us through this period as we search for Marsha’s successor.”
Feetham received a B.A. in English literature from the University of Redlands in 1965, an M.A. in English literature from the UW in 1967, and a Ph.D. in English literature from the UW in 1977. She served as assistant dean for fellowships and assistantships in the Graduate School from 1985 to 1990, before becoming assistant dean for student affairs.
The Graduate School was established permanently in 1910. It exercises leadership for the UW in matters pertaining to graduate education, facilitates the performance of research by its faculty and students, and fosters the integration of education and research to the benefit of both.
Programs in the Graduate School leading to master’s and doctoral degrees are offered in 84 departments or other organizational units of the University. The Graduate School directly sponsors nine interdisciplinary degree programs by organizing groups of interested faculty members and assisting them in developing such programs. It also administers a small Special Individual Ph.D. program for interdisciplinary dissertations.
Huntsman will soon name a search committee for the dean of the Graduate School. This committee will be chaired by David Hodge, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
