University of Vermont President Thomas Sullivan and Provost and Senior Vice President David Rosowsky have announced that Cynthia Forehand, Ph.D., professor of neurological sciences in the College of Medicine, has been appointed dean of the Graduate College, effective immediately.

A member of the UVM faculty since 1987, Forehand has been serving for the past year as interim dean of the Graduate College. Prior to that, she served as associate dean of the Graduate College from 2010 until 2013. According to an announcement from Sullivan and Rosowsky, Forehand has taken significant steps to improve and streamline policies and procedures related to graduate education and support in her role as interim dean. As a member of the Incentive-Based Budgeting (IBB) Subcommittee on Graduate Tuition and Aid, she played a significant role in shaping the algorithms and broader integrated mechanisms for support of UVM’s graduate programs and graduate students under the new Incentive-based Budget Model. She has also been an advocate and effective voice for ensuring interdisciplinary graduate programs and other student opportunities under IBB.

In addition to her credentials and vision for graduate education at UVM, Sullivan and Rosowsky praise Forehand’s deep understanding of the research missions and profiles of both the College of Medicine and the broader University and the excellent relationships she maintains with faculty and staff across the University.

Forehand completed her Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis.

“She brings extensive teaching, research, and professional service experience to her role as Dean of the Graduate College,” say Sullivan and Rosowsky. “A successful teacher-scholar, and a dedicated mentor to students, she also brings her long held commitment to access and student success. We look forward to working closely with her as we grow our graduate enrollments and our graduate education profile, consistent with the President’s Strategic Action Plan and underlying Academic Excellence Goals.”