Ayanna Thomas has been named the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. She has been with the university since 2007 as an assistant professor. Thomas went on to work with the university as a professor of psychology before transitioning to dean of research in Arts and Sciences in 2021. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree before earning her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Washington.
In her early career, Thomas taught at Colby College and, before that, worked at Washington University. Her most recent research has revolved around student success and practices as it pertains to classroom learning and engagement. While at Tufts, she has been creative in discovering various methods of funding research, such as her Dean’s Research Fellowship, and hosting “research-based workshops for faculty.”
“It’s a critical time for graduate education at Tufts and across the United States,” Thomas said in an interview for Tufts Now. “I think we as academic leaders have to really think about the future of both undergraduate and graduate education. I think that this is a puzzle and a problem that can be approached and effectively solved with the team here at Tufts,” she said.
“Ayanna has been an invaluable colleague as dean of research,” said Bárbara Brizuela, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “I know she will bring the same creativity, rigor and vision to this new role, and I am so thankful that she has embraced this new challenge. I can’t wait to see everything she will accomplish for graduate education in Arts & Sciences,” she said.
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