Ruma Chopra Named Dean of University of Utah’s School for Cultural and Social Transformation
- She was previously co-founder and director of the university-wide honors program at San Jose State University.
University of Utah’s School for Cultural and Social Transformation has named history professor Ruma Chopra as its new dean. Co-founder and director of the university-wide honors program at San Jose State University, the Indian American will begin her new role on July 1, according to a May 9 announcement.
She will lead the School for Cultural and Social Transformation, known as Transform, “in its mission to examine the way bias, bigotry, inclusion and equity are centered and thought about,” said a university statement. The school was formed in 2016 through a merger of ethnic studies, gender studies and disability studies.
Chopra said she is “excited” to join the Transform. “A school that incorporates interdisciplinary and intersectional learning as its foundation is remarkable, and I look forward to learning how my passion and experiences can be of service to the University of Utah.”
While at San Jose State University, Chopra served as associate dean of research in the College of Social Science. In that role, she acted as “the primary contact for retention, promotion and tenure standards,” and launched the HonorsX program, the university said.
Before pursuing a doctorate degree and path toward higher education, Chopra worked for seven years in high-tech, holding consulting and managerial positions at Intel, Cisco, Bell Labs and Google. She is a scholar of the American Revolution and American slavery and has authored three books on the subjects. She is a 2021-2022 American Council on Education Fellow.
(Top photo by Josie Lepe courtesy, sjsu.edu)