New Associate Dean Appointments

June 11, 2025

Dear Colleagues:

 

I am pleased to announce two new Associate Dean appointments:

• Professor Menna Bizuneh for an initial 3-year appointment as Associate Dean for Curriculum and Advising, and
• Professor Juanita Aristizábal for an initial 5-year appointment as Associate Dean of Global/Local Initiatives and Programming and Director of the Institute for Global/Local Action and Study (IGLAS). 

Both appointees are well-respected by faculty and staff, dedicated to Pitzer, and have contributed to the life and academic programs at the College.  Both appointments are effective July 1, 2025. 

Professor Bizuneh started at Pitzer in 2014 and was promoted to full professor in 2024.  She is in the Economics Field Group and also a faculty member in the International Political Economy Program.  Her research interests include international economics, monetary economics, and macroeconomics, and she has taught courses in international trade and finance, principles and theory of macroeconomics, and senior seminar.  At Pitzer, Professor Bizuneh has served on FEC, ASC, TLC, and SAIP, and chaired the recent Dean of Faculty Advisory Search Committee.  She also served as Director of the Claremont Faculty Leadership Program, is a 2023-2024 American Council on Education Fellow, and currently serves as Special Assistant to the (Pitzer) President on Enrollment Management.  In her role as Associate Dean, Professor Bizuneh’s primary responsibilities will revolve around curricular planning and support, student advising and engagement, and pedagogical innovation and student accommodation processes.

Professor Aristizábal started at Pitzer in 2014, and since 2023, has been a full professor in the Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Field Group.  She is a literary scholar whose research focuses on Colombian literature and culture. She teaches Spanish and Portuguese language as well as courses on Latin American culture, including on environmental issues and journalism.  Professor Aristizábal has extensive service and leadership experience at Pitzer, including on APC, APT, SAIP, TLC, and search committees for the Dean of Faculty and President.  In her role as Associate Dean, Professor Aristizábal will focus on coordinating and developing global and local academic programming, and fostering community engagement and advocacy in local and global contexts.  As Director of IGLAS, she will work to incubate and support innovative faculty work that is global, local, or that bridges these contexts and issues, and will also serve as a campus resource for global and local programming. 

I thank every faculty member who put forward applications or nominations for these positions.  I also thank incoming Dean of Faculty Chawne Kimber for her input on these appointments.  She was impressed with all of the applicants for these positions and looks forward to working with Professor Bizuneh and Professor Aristizábal in these new roles.

Finally, I thank Professor Phil Zuckerman and Professor Nigel Boyle who have held these or similar roles for the past several years.  Professor Zuckerman will be embarking on a year-long sabbatical beginning in July and Professor Boyle will be retiring from Pitzer; both have made substantial contributions to Pitzer and facilitated the work of faculty through their roles.  Professor Bizuneh will be able to build on Professor Zuckerman’s foundational work, and Professor Aristizábal will expand and further develop Professor Boyle’s initiatives.  Please join me in thanking all of these individuals for their past and future work for the College.