Office of the Provost
Info For:

Aroutis Foster Appointed Interim Dean of the School of Education

June 1, 2023

​This message was sent to all students, faculty and professional staff on June 1, 2023. 

Dear Drexel Colleagues and Students,

Following nine months of leadership of the School of Education, Interim Dean and Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement Erin McNamara Horvat, PhD, has decided to step down from the interim dean role as of July 1 to return fully to her position in the Office of Faculty Advancement. I am grateful to Dr. Horvat for taking on this role during the very difficult time following the loss of Dean Penny Hammrich. She did a wonderful job leading the School while maintaining other responsibilities in the Provost’s Office, and I look forward to her full return to overseeing faculty development and the Teaching and Learning Center, among other critical areas.

I am pleased to announce that Aroutis Foster, PhD, professor and associate dean of academic affairs and graduate studies in the School of Education, will be appointed interim dean beginning July 1, 2023. An interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in educational technology, identity exploration and the learning sciences, Dr. Foster joined Drexel University’s School of Education in 2009. He soon established a strong research program, earning, among other awards, the National Science Foundation CAREER award as well as $5.63 million in external funding to date. Currently, Dr. Foster serves as co-principal investigator of the Greater Philadelphia Region Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, which supports diversification of the STEM workforce and educational pathways for underrepresented students.

In 2018, Dr. Foster joined the administration of the School of Education as associate dean for academic affairs and graduate studies. He has also taken on numerous University-level leadership roles, serving as a Provost Fellow (2016-2017), a Lenfest Cultural Heritage Fellow (2018-2020) with the Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships, and currently as a Provost Solutions Fellow (2020-Present) with the Drexel Solutions Institute and the Provost’s Office. In 2020, he was named co-chair of the Drexel University Anti-Racism Task Force, co-leading 130 volunteers of students, faculty and professional staff across 11 subcommittees while also spearheading DEI initiatives in the School of Education. I am grateful to Dr. Foster for accepting the interim dean role and for his ongoing service to Drexel.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Foster and welcoming him to his new role!

Sincerely,

Paul E. Jensen
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost