April 27, 2006

Anthropology Professor Caroline Brettell
Named Acting Dean of Dedman College

DALLAS (SMU) — Anthropology Professor Caroline B. Brettell has been named acting dean of SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, effective from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007. During that time, a search committee will conduct a national search for a permanent dean to succeed Jasper Neel, who resigned the deanship to return to full-time teaching.

Brettell, who is the Dedman Family Distinguished Professor in Dedman College, served as chair of the Department of Anthropology from 1994 to 2004. She also served as president of the Faculty Senate from 2001-2002 and director of the Women’s Studies Program from 1989 to 1994. She was honored with the SMU Distinguished University Citizen Award in 2004. Brettell has been a member of the SMU faculty since 1988. She earned her B.A. degree from Yale University and both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University.

“Caroline Brettell will bring to this new task proven leadership skills, an understanding of the College and the University, and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” said SMU Provost Robert Blocker. “We are fortunate to have the benefit of her leadership as acting dean of Dedman College during the coming year.”

Brettell served in 2000-2001 as president of the Social Science History Association and from 1996 to 1998 as president of the Society for the Anthropology of Europe. Her research interests include migration and immigration, the cross-cultural study of gender, the intersections of anthropology and history, and European ethnography. She has written and co-edited several books and book chapters and numerous journal articles and book reviews. Brettell currently is the principal investigator for a project funded by the Russell Sage Foundation and another project sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

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