Published March 13, 2025
Dear University Community:
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Jeffrey T. Grabill, deputy vice chancellor for student education at the University of Leeds, as dean of UB’s College of Arts and Sciences, effective August 1, 2025.
Dr. Grabill’s appointment results from an extensive international search that attracted highly competitive candidates. He stood out because of his significant leadership experience, impressive scholarly accomplishments, strong commitment to the liberal arts, and proven ability to work with faculty across disciplines to create and implement a shared vision. Under his leadership, I am confident that the College of Arts and Sciences will build on its strengths; achieve even greater prominence in research, scholarship, creative activities and education; and enhance its impact on our local and global communities.
At the University of Leeds, Dr. Grabill has led a comprehensive, innovative education strategy focused on enhancing assessment, teaching, active learning, and skills development. Prior to Leeds, Dr. Grabill was a professor and former chair of the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures and associate provost for teaching, learning, and technology at Michigan State University. As associate provost, he was responsible for facilitating educational excellence and innovation, reimagining professional development for educators, supporting student success, creating the university’s online strategy, and leading the pivot to remote instruction during the pandemic.
An expert in rhetoric and professional writing, Dr. Grabill’s research focuses on how digital writing is associated with citizenship and learning in community contexts, museums, and classrooms at all levels. A prolific scholar whose research has been supported by numerous grants, Dr. Grabill has published three books and nearly 60 articles and book chapters, which have garnered several book and paper awards. Dr. Grabill has served on the editorial boards for nine journals and book series and is the former president of the Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication. He also co-founded Drawbridge, an educational technology company.
Dr. Grabill holds a PhD in English from Purdue University, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Kent State University and Wabash College, respectively.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dean S. Todd Brown and the members of the search committee for their outstanding service, which was crucial to the successful outcome of this search. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dean Robin Schulze for her dedicated leadership of UB’s College of Arts and Sciences over the last nine years.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Grabill to UB and to this important leadership role within our campus community. For more details on this appointment, please view the full announcement here.
Sincerely,
A. Scott Weber Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs