By Helen Stevenson

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, interim provost Jonathan Crystal, Ph.D., announced the appointment of Eva Badowska, Ph.D. as permanent dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and Associate Vice President for Arts and Sciences in an email to the Fordham community.

Badowska previously held the position of interim dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). As Badowska transitions to her new permanent position, Melissa Labonte, Ph.D., will take up the role of interim dean of GSAS while a search for a permanent fixture is conducted.
Crystal’s letter explained that the search committee for Dean of FAS, chaired by Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., recommended that the roles of dean of

GSAS and dean of FAS should be held by different people.

“Dr. Badowska agreed and has chosen to step down as dean of GSAS, effective January 2, 2019. She will begin service as dean of FAS/AVP for Arts and Sciences on the same day,” wrote Crystal.

The university has formed a search committee for GSAS. The new dean will be established and begin working in the fall of 2019.

According to Crystal, Badowska has assisted the department of FAS in absence of a permanent dean for almost the last year and a half.

“Dr. Badowska has provided outstanding interim leadership in these roles since July 2017, steering the effort to reimagine the function and structure of Arts and Sciences,” wrote Crystal, “which resulted most recently in the publication of the recommendations by the Working Group.”

Badowska has been with the university since 2000, serving Fordham’s community as a professor, associate chair for undergraduate studies in English and chair of the English department. Since then she has served the GSAS as acting, interim and permanent dean.