Delaware Valley University Names New Deans
Delaware Valley University has named new deans for two of its schools. Effective immediately, Dr. Tanya Casas, who had been serving as the interim dean, is the permanent dean for the School of Business and Humanities. Dr. Jean Smolen, currently an associate dean for Saint Joseph’s University’s College of Arts and Sciences, will join DelVal as the next dean of the School of Life and Physical Sciences on Aug. 28.
“I am confident that these two scholars and teachers will prove to be exceptional leaders in Academic Affairs at Delaware Valley University,” said Dr. Benjamin Rusiloski, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “The Experience360 Program, our experiential learning program, is a hallmark of the DelVal experience. Both Dr. Casas and Dr. Smolen have demonstrated a commitment to supporting relevant, hands-on experiences for students, and I look forward to working with them as we make experiential learning flow through everything we do at DelVal.”
Dr. Tanya Casas, School of Business and Humanities
Dr. Casas joined DelVal in 2005 as a faculty member and was named interim dean of business and humanities in January 2017. In addition to her role as a dean, she serves as the academic director of the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program and as the academic coordinator of the University’s leadership development program with Bucks County. She also serves on Doylestown Township’s Environmental Advisory Council. Dr. Casas is involved in fighting hunger through her involvement with Seeding Relief, a nonprofit that uses agriculture to address food insecurity; the Philabundance Political Advocacy Committee; the Hunger Nutrition Coalition of Bucks County; and the University’s charitable garden, Hope of the Harvest. Dr. Casas earned her Ph.D. in development sociology from Cornell University.
Dr. Jean Smolen, School of Life and Physical Sciences
Credit: Melissa Kelly, SJU. Dr. Jean Smolen.
Dr. Smolen has served as an associate dean for Saint Joseph’s University’s College of Arts and Sciences for the past three years. In that capacity, Dr. Smolen has managed and supported the educational activities of all academic departments and programs in mathematics, the natural sciences and computer science. She also directs Saint Joseph’s Summer Scholars Program, which provides stipends for undergraduate research across all disciplines. Before her service as associate dean, Dr. Smolen was the associate director of the University’s John P. McNulty Scholars Program, which provides mentoring in the natural sciences for student scholars. She has also taught as a faculty member in the department of chemistry since 1998 and directed Saint Joseph’s environmental science program. Dr. Smolen earned her Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from Johns Hopkins University.