Syracuse names new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University this week announced Behzad Mortazavi as the next dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S).

His appointment, which was approved by the executive committee of the school’s board of trustees, is effective July 1 of this year. Mortazavi comes to Syracuse from the University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences, where he is chair and professor of biological sciences.

“Behzad Mortazavi is an experienced academic administrator with an impressive track record of success in research and scholarship,” Gretchen Ritter, vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer, said in the school’s news release. “His collaborative leadership style will be an asset not only to the College of Arts and Sciences but also to the University at large as he works with his fellow deans and with me to enhance liberal arts and sciences education.”

As dean of A&S, Mortazavi will report to Ritter and be part of the academic deans’ cabinet and the Chancellor’s Council. He will be responsible for “enhancing the student experience” and student success; inspiring “innovative, impactful and interdisciplinary” research and collaboration; prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging; managing fiscal resources; and attracting and retaining faculty and students, Syracuse said.

“I am delighted to have the privilege of serving as the next dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University,” Mortazavi said in the SU news release. “Syracuse is an academic institution with a tradition of excellence. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, students and University leadership to build on our successes and to collectively advance a vision for the future.”

Provost Ritter also thanked Professor Lois Agnew, who has served as interim dean of A&S since July.

“With Lois, the College of Arts and Sciences has been in capable hands. I appreciate her partnership and her dedicated leadership as she has guided the college through this period of transition,” Ritter said.