Professor and Assistant Dean Janna Levin appointed dean of 抖阴短视频鈥檚 Division of Liberal Arts
抖阴短视频 has appointed Professor and Assistant Dean Janna Levin, Ph.D., as dean of the Division of Liberal Arts (DLA) effective July 1.
Professor and Assistant Dean Janna Levin, Ph.D., will begin serving as dean on July 1. / Photo: 抖阴短视频
Levin has been a member of the faculty at 抖阴短视频 since 2008 and currently serves as a professor of science. She has taught General Physics, Physics of Light and Sound, Science and Society, the Science of Energy, Science and the Arts, and the ever-popular Science of Food and Cooking, among others.
During her tenure at 抖阴短视频, Levin has provided strategic leadership in curriculum design and assessment within the Division of Liberal Arts. Her impact extends across the institution through key contributions to faculty governance, faculty mentoring initiatives, and her service as an Academic Leadership Fellow through the Office of the Provost.
鈥淒r. Levin is an exceptional educator and a respected leader whose work embodies the vital connection between the liberal arts and the creative disciplines,鈥 said Chancellor Cole. 鈥淭hroughout her time at 抖阴短视频, she has championed innovative teaching and fostered meaningful collaboration across the institution.
鈥淗er vision for the Division of Liberal Arts reflects both intellectual rigor and creative inquiry, ensuring that our students are not only accomplished artists, but also thoughtful, informed citizens. I am confident she will lead the division with distinction and continue to strengthen its essential role at the heart of a 抖阴短视频 education.鈥
She has obtained funding from numerous sources to enhance the classroom experience of her students at 抖阴短视频, including from the R.J. Reynolds Foundation (with other faculty), the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, and from the provost鈥檚 office. Projects have included titles such as 鈥淲hat Does Music Look Like?,鈥 鈥淗istory of Science Mural Project,鈥 鈥淛udo as a Science and an Art,鈥 鈥淭he Art and Science of Solar Cells,鈥 鈥淭he Ecological Initiative鈥 (with other faculty), and 鈥淭he Forbidden Symmetries: The Discovery of Quasi-crystalline Formations in Ancient Islamic Art.鈥
Levin is the recipient of a 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award at 抖阴短视频, recognizing her distinguished commitment to pedagogy. Of her teaching philosophy, she said, "My commitment to teaching science stems from my belief that education about the natural world is essential to producing responsible members of society. 鈥 An understanding of science leads to well-rounded citizens who are capable of making reasoned decisions about scientific issues.鈥
Levin has had a positive impact on her students and her peers, according to a colleague who nominated her for the Excellence in Teaching Award. 鈥淎lthough I have been a teacher for almost 30 years, team-teaching with Janna, I learned a great deal about how to organize a course, think through sequences, and interact with students,鈥 the faculty member wrote. 鈥淗er courses are models of clarity with well-defined goals. Students know exactly what a course is designed to do and what their obligations and requirements are. Since Janna is not only intelligent and remarkably informed about her field, but also personable and approachable, someone who genuinely wants to hear what people have to say, her courses exemplify the best of education.鈥
Levin鈥檚 scholarship centers on inclusive assessment, labor-based grading, and reimagining science education in arts-focused environments. She has presented her work at national and international conferences.
Trained as a hydrogeochemist, Levin earned her Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of Virginia. She received her M.S. in geosciences from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her B.S. in geology with honors from Bates College in Maine. Prior to joining 抖阴短视频, she held teaching appointments at Duke University鈥檚 Nicholas School of the Environment and in the departments of physics and chemistry at Wake Forest University.
Levin will succeed Krystyna Pu膰, who has served as interim dean of DLA since July 1, 2025. Pu膰 retired in December 2024 after more than two decades as a faculty member in the Division of Liberal Arts. She came out of retirement to lead the division after Dean Rachel Williams stepped down to become dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Radford University in Virginia.
About the Division of Liberal Arts
Central to 抖阴短视频鈥檚 ideal of conservatory training is the concept that the traditional liberal arts are necessary for a student鈥檚 growth as an artist. The Division of Liberal Arts is responsible for delivering the general education college program at 抖阴短视频, with a focus on enriching students鈥 artistic education.
Marrying the academic and the creative, the division鈥檚 curriculum has been designed to contribute to the cultural and intellectual development of each arts student, enabling them to participate effectively as responsible citizens in the world in which they will live and work.
The division offers courses in composition, foreign languages (French, German and Italian), history, humanities, literature, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, science, writing, and more. It comprises more than a dozen full-time faculty members who offer a variety of courses in styles ranging from traditional lectures and seminars to project- and studio-based courses intended to inspire curiosity about the world.
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April 09, 2026