Introducing the NEW Assistant Dean of Professional Development and Communications

By: Margaret Savoie

Dr. Sandra Spiroff, Assistant Dean of Professional Development and Communications

Last year the Graduate School began a search for a new position: the Assistant Dean of Professional Development and Communications. After a thorough search, Dr. Sandra Spiroff was hired for the position.

“Universities have done a great job building a team of support for undergraduate students, attending to academic, career, and wellness needs. You might describe it by thinking about each undergraduate student as a quarterback with many coaches and teammates. Graduate students need a team of people supporting their success as well. At the same time, it is a lot to ask that the academic mentor/major professor be able to be an expert in all areas of professional development,” said Dr. Annette Kluck, Dean of the Graduate School.

Kluck said when asked about decision to create a new position, “the Assistant Dean of Professional Development and Communication helps bring the model of teammates and multiple coaches to graduate study. The position was developed to enable the Graduate School to better pull together and communicate opportunities for graduate students, connecting them to resources on campus and off, and building out a portfolio of professional development offerings that meet the unique needs of graduate students.”

Spiroff, originally from the St. Louis area, earned a B.S. in mathematics with a minor in education from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. A few years later, Spiroff returned to school to earn a master’s degree in mathematics from Saint Louis University. Her studies did not stop there; after Saint Louis University, Spiroff attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, eventually earning a Ph.D. in mathematics with a concentration in algebra. She then accepted a three-year postdoctoral position at the University of Utah before transitioning into a tenure track faculty position.

“I found a preference for collegiate education, not only the level of student and instruction, but also the growth expectation of faculty in terms of research and professional endeavors,” said Spiroff.

While serving at the National Science Foundation as a rotating program officer in the District of Columbia and Alexandria region, a colleague brought this new position to Spiroff’s attention. Spiroff had some professional development experience while in the department of mathematics at the university. The idea of this new position would help to augment this role and experience.

“In this position, Dr. Spiroff is working to create and implement a vision for professional development for graduate students and help enhance our communications to various stakeholders,” said Kluck.

Kluck also stated that Spiroff had broad experiences managing communications related to an academic association and facilitating the creation of professional development opportunities within her discipline, including supporting graduate students at crucial transitions.

For Spiroff, key ideas for this new position are connectivity and communication. “I think it is important that graduate students know of the many resources available, including the great staff at every level who are eager to assist, and how they can ease or augment a student’s journey on campus and beyond,” said Spiroff. She also stated it is important that connections are made with others on campus including visitors and outreach contacts.

Spiroff hopes to improve on the initiatives and progress that has already been achieved by the staff of the Graduate School and their partners. Spiroff has extended some of these efforts to the postdoctoral population across campus–a demographic that is crucial to a university’s Carnegie Research 1 status, which The University of Mississippi earned in 2016.

“By strengthening and enhancing the graduate and postdoctoral experience on campus, the University can solidify its standing as a competitive research institute–one with the very unique flavors of UM traditions and history,” said Spiroff.

Introducing the NEW Assistant Dean of Professional Development and Communications

2022 Winter Newsletter