Meet the Deans of Thomas Jefferson University's Three New Colleges

What are your goals for the new College of Business?
Our goal is to position the College of Business as a lifelong learning hub where students and professionals return throughout their careers to acquire new knowledge, strengthen their skills, and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving global economy. We will:

• Elevate our academic identity by offering a dynamic portfolio of programs that respond to evolving industry needs and clearly communicate the distinctive value of a Jefferson business education.
• Champion interdisciplinary learning and global awareness that prepare students to lead with creativity, adaptability, and confidence.
• Expand industry partnerships to increase employer engagement and provide more experiential learning opportunities.
• Advance lifelong learning through flexible, relevant pathways that prepare learners at every stage, from high school students to seasoned professionals seeking to upskill and reskill.
• Promote impactful scholarship that addresses real-world challenges, informs business practice, and enhances teaching and innovation.

How is the new college going to prepare our students for the future of work?
The future of work requires professionals who are adaptable, analytically skilled, technologically fluent, and able to solve complex challenges across disciplines. Our curriculum combines a strong business foundation with the liberal arts, analytics, leadership, innovation, and artificial intelligence. Through internships, industry-sponsored projects, and immersive learning experiences, students develop the technical expertise, professional competencies, and lifelong learning mindset needed to thrive in careers that will continue to evolve.

How will the new configuration of colleges foster collaboration between them?
The creation of the College of Business alongside the Colleges of Fashion & Textiles and Architecture, Design & Engineering strengthens Jefferson’s interdisciplinary model.

Building on initiatives such as the DEC [design, engineering, and commerce] core curriculum and partnerships across the University, we will expand collaborative teaching, research, and experiential learning.

The new structure also provides greater flexibility for students to combine disciplines through complementary majors and minors and creates seamless pathways from undergraduate to graduate study. Together, these opportunities reflect Jefferson’s commitment to preparing graduates to solve complex challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and real-world learning.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
Before GPS and smartphones, I drove coast to coast across both the U.S. and Canada in my rusty-but-trusty aqua-blue Dodge Shadow, navigating with paper maps and listening to FM radio.

What are your goals for the new College of Architecture, Design & Engineering?
We want to create an integrated, collaborative environment where architects, designers, engineers, and construction management professionals learn from one another while developing deep expertise in their own disciplines.

Our goal is not simply to prepare students for their first job, but to equip them with the adaptability, curiosity, and interdisciplinary mindset to lead professions that will continue to evolve throughout their working lives.

How is the new college going to help prepare our students for the future of work?
Philadelphia serves as our living laboratory. Students work alongside faculty, community organizations, public agencies, and industry partners on projects that address real needs in our society and in neighborhoods throughout the city. These experiences foster civic engagement while giving students firsthand experience in applying their knowledge to meaningful challenges.

Architecture, design, engineering, and construction management students work together with leading industry partners on real-world projects that mirror professional practice. They gain experience with the latest tools including AI-enabled workflows, computational design, advanced digital technologies, engineering analysis, and digital fabrication while developing the creativity, critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills that will enable them to thrive throughout their careers.

How will the new configuration of colleges foster collaboration between them?
The new structure creates stronger identities for each college while making it easier to collaborate across them.

Students and faculty will have expanded opportunities to work with colleagues in health, business, the sciences, and the creative disciplines on real-world projects that improve lives and communities. This interdisciplinary culture reflects Jefferson’s unique strength and ensures our graduates understand how design, engineering, health, and technology intersect to create innovative solutions.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
Architecture truly runs in my family. My father was an architect, two of my siblings are architects, and all of my siblings married architects. Some of my earliest memories are traveling with my father, sitting in city streets, town squares, and landscapes, sketching buildings, and learning to observe the world through the eyes of an architect. Those experiences sparked a lifelong passion for design and for creating places that improve people’s lives.