The current chair of the department of sociology at Notre Dame, Sarah Mustillo, will serve as the next dean of the College of Arts and Letters, the University announced in a press release Wednesday. Mustillo will take over the position from John McGreevy — who served as dean of the college for 10 years — July 1.

A Notre Dame alumna, Mustillo earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and gender studies, graduating from the University in 1996, according to the press release. She continued her education at Duke University, gaining master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology.

Mustillo returned to Notre Dame as a faculty member in 2014, and became chair of the department of sociology in 2016. Her research focuses on topics including statistics, social epidemiology, medical sociology and social psychology, according to the press release.

University President Fr. John Jenkins commended Mustillo for her scholarship and commitment to Notre Dame’s mission.

“Throughout her career, Sarah has proven herself to be an accomplished scholar and skilled administrator,” he said in the press release. “Since returning to Notre Dame, she has shown character, selflessness, sound judgment and commitment to our distinctive Catholic mission through her service as department chair and on numerous committees and advisory boards. Sarah’s global perspective and focus on integrated learning and knowledge make her an ideal candidate to lead the College of Arts and Letters.”

University provost Thomas G. Burish said in the press release that Mustillo’s combination of passion and extensive experience make her the right person for the job.

“Sarah is a gifted leader, teacher and researcher who will bring to this position a deep understanding of the college and its mission, as well as a compelling vision for its future,” he said. “The search committee members were uniformly impressed with her deep commitment to providing our students with a world-class education that integrates a strong Catholic liberal arts foundation with state-of-the-art analytical tools and methods and a global perspective.”

According to the release, Mustillo hopes to further promote the scholarship of graduate students and expand upon the success of undergraduate programs.

“I am honored and delighted to be offered this challenging new role and to work with some of the very brightest scholars and dedicated academic professionals in the country and indeed the world,” she said in the release. “I am exceedingly grateful for the trust being placed in me, and I look forward to working alongside students, faculty and colleagues across the college and University as we advance academic excellence and our distinctive scholarly mission at our nation’s premier Catholic research university.”

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