Re: Reappointment of Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Dumont, Dean of the School of Natural Sciences
To: All employees
June 28, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
It is with great pleasure that I announce the reappointment of Dr. Betsy Dumont as Dean of the School of Natural Sciences. Dr. Dumont first joined UC Merced in August 2017 and is a Professor in the Life and Environmental Sciences department.
Since August 2017, Dr. Dumont has spearheaded various initiatives for the betterment of the School of Natural Sciences, its faculty, and UC Merced students. A select list of accomplishments include:
- Hiring 33 faculty, with more than 50% identifying as women.
- More than doubling per capita research expenditures in the School of Natural Sciences.
- Increasing the number of fully funded School of Natural Sciences PhD students.
- Establishing the first academic LLCs on campus and increasing the retention rate for those students by 6%.
- Decreasing DFW rates in lower division School of Natural Science courses (22% to 9%).
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Helping to implement the Experience by Degrees program, a joint collaboration with Alumni Affairs and the Center for Careers and Professional Development, which has introduced roughly 1,000 undergraduates to approximately 50 alumni as a means for students to network and learn about various career paths.
Dr. Dumont’s work has been invaluable. When asked about her proudest moments, she is quick to acknowledge that she “gets to work with a whole school full of rock stars” and that all of her accomplishments required the work of many individuals.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Dumont on her reappointment. I look forward to continuing to draw on her expertise and work with the School of Natural Sciences and the university.
Yours,
Gregg Camfield
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
