Appointment of Regina Deil-Amen as Dean of the College of Education

Provost Patricia Prelock sent the following message to all students, faculty, staff and designated campus colleagues in the College of Education; university senior leaders and the Provost Integrated Leadership Team. on Feb. 3, 2026. 

I am pleased to announce that Regina Deil-Amen has been appointed dean of the College of Education, effective Feb. 2, 2026.

Deil-Amen has served as interim dean of the College of Education since April 2025 and has been part of the college since joining the university in 2007. Over that time, she has taken on several leadership roles, including director of the Center for the Study of Higher Education and head of the Department of Educational Policy Studies and Practice from 2020 to 2023. She served as an associate dean for faculty affairs from 2023 to 2025, where she championed faculty development and supported research and scholarship that advanced teaching, learning and community engagement.

As interim dean, Deil-Amen has shown a deep commitment to the college’s role in fulfilling the university’s land-grant mission by helping address teacher shortages across Arizona and preparing educators, educational leaders and policymakers who inform educational practice locally, nationally and globally. She has also driven educational improvement through innovative, evidence-based research and practice that draws on the strengths of students and their families.

She has prioritized building a college-wide student recruitment and retention strategy, forging new school partnerships, strengthening alumni relations, and creating new student funding opportunities. She has implemented more routine financial reporting and transparency for the college community and built a culture of support for faculty and staff. Deil-Amen has also advanced fundraising efforts that surpassed this year’s college goal by nearly 200%.

A nationally recognized scholar, Deil-Amen's research centers on college access, student transitions to four-year institutions and evidence-based practices that promote student success. She served as the principal investigator for the Pima–UAZ STEM Bridge program, a $4.8 million NSF-funded initiative supporting Pima Community College students transferring to the University of Arizona to pursue STEM degrees. Her scholarship includes numerous publications in leading academic journals and the co-authored book "After Admission: From College Access to College Success."

Thanks to Dean Hasan Elahi for chairing the search committee, as well as the students, faculty and staff who served on the committee for their time, insight and dedication throughout the process.

I look forward to working together to further strengthen the College of Education under Deil-Amen's leadership.

This message is posted on the Office of the Provost website.