Karpus reappointed as dean of the Graduate School

By Natasha Kassulke, natasha.kassulke@wisc.edu, (608) 219-8042

William Karpus has been reappointed as dean of the Graduate School.

Every five years, deans of the university’s schools and colleges undergo a comprehensive review to assess their performance.

“I appreciate the breadth, depth and inclusivity of the analysis conducted by the review committee,” says Steve Ackerman, vice chancellor for research and graduate education. “The committee invited feedback both from the general campus and from those who work most closely with Dean Karpus.”

Karpus is the first dean of the graduate school since the school was restructured during creation of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education in 2014 to enhance the roles of graduate education and research at UW–Madison. As dean, Karpus provides support for more than 9,200 graduate students across more than 160 graduate programs.

Since 2015, he has created the Graduate School Dean’s Advisory Board, supported mentoring and professional development initiatives and provided a new administrative home for the Delta Program in Research, Teaching and Learning, which trains future teachers.

The Graduate School also recently created a searchable database of external fellowships to help students find external funding opportunities, established a $1.2 million fellowship program. to support students whose academic progress was delayed by the pandemic and adjusted stipends such that UW–Madison is now above the estimated median at major public research universities.

“While our work in this area is not done, we are improving,” Ackerman says. “I look forward to supporting Dean Karpus in continuing this work and in leading a formal strategic planning effort in the new year that reaches out to campus stakeholders, including graduate students, to guide our internal efforts.”