UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sarah Ades, associate dean for graduate student affairs in the Graduate School and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, will leave her position at Penn State on Jan. 2, 2024. Ades has been appointed dean of the Graduate School and senior vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas at Austin, and will begin her appointment in the spring 2024 semester.
More information about a search for a new associate dean for graduate student affairs in the Graduate School will be announced soon.
“We are grateful for Sarah’s leadership, dedication and advocacy that has helped to improve the overall graduate student experience during her tenure for the past several years,” said Levon T. Esters, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. “Her work has helped to establish and strengthen student services related to career and professional development, mentorship, academic support, mental health and wellness, and other important areas for graduate education. We wish her the best in her new role.”
“While I am excited to embark on this next phase of my career journey, I will miss my amazing colleagues at Penn State,” said Ades. “I have had the opportunity as a faculty member to develop a research program, mentor wonderful graduate and undergraduate students, and contribute to the teaching mission of the University. In my role with the Graduate School, it has been a privilege to work with graduate students, graduate faculty, and the Graduate School staff to support and improve the graduate student experience.”
Ades joined Penn State in 2002 as tenure-track faculty in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. An internationally recognized microbiologist, Ades studies how bacteria respond to stress and how to leverage those responses for antibiotic development. Her research has been supported by grants from governmental science agencies and industry. Ades also is an award-winning teacher and has developed courses designed to help students master fundamental concepts of biology through scientific inquiry.
“Dr. Ades has been a valued member of the Eberly College of Science over the past 21 years,” said Tracy Langkilde, Verne M. Willaman Dean of the Eberly College of Science. “In addition to her incredible contributions to graduate education, Dr. Ades had an impactful research program investigating how bacteria survive in a host during infection and evade antibiotic treatment and engaged undergraduate students in meaningful ways in this work. We wish her the best in this exciting new role.”
In 2018, Ades was appointed associate dean in the Graduate School. As associate dean for graduate student affairs, Ades advocated for graduate students in all venues, created programming to support student success, assisted students and faculty in navigating challenges, and developed student-centered policies. Some of her major contributions to the Penn State graduate education community include leading the annual Graduate Exhibition, developing an online graduate student orientation, organizing several career exploration workshops, and implementing an industry career preparation program titled Accelerate to Industry.
Ades worked closely with the Graduate Council, the faculty governance group for graduate education, and administrators to analyze and improve upon the graduate student experience and policies at the University. She led the creation of a graduate student ombudsperson program and introduced mentorship workshops to help faculty develop inclusive, culturally aware mentoring practices. In collaboration with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, Ades also partnered in establishing a new graduate teaching certificate program in collaboration with the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence that will launch in spring 2024.