School of International Service Dean Shannon Hader will be stepping down from her role after a three-year term on Oct. 15, American University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Vicky Wilkins announced Friday in an email sent to students.
Hader stepped into the role in 2022. She led the creation of new academic and organizational structures and collaborated with other departments while expanding support for research, teaching and student success, Wilkins wrote.
“Her commitment to faculty development, new career readiness initiatives, and expanded experiential learning opportunities contributed to the continued evolution of the school,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins did not give a reason for the transition in the announcement.
In addition to her duties as dean, Hader’s scholarly work focuses on health, data science and social equity. She is teaching SIS-635 Advanced Topics in Development Management: The Architecture of Influence during the Fall 2025 term.
Prior to joining the University, Hader worked as an assistant secretary general for the United Nations and as deputy executive director of programmes at Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.
When Hader’s term began, she said, “I’m honored to be joining SIS—with its long tradition of driving truly interdisciplinary solutions to complex world problems.”
As SIS transitions into a new chapter, Senior Associate Dean Rachel Sullivan Robinson will take on the role of interim dean effective Oct. 15.
“I have complete confidence in Rachel’s ability to lead the school forward during this transition and uphold SIS’s mission and values,” Wilkins wrote in the announcement.
This article was edited by Owen Auston-Babcock, Abigail Hatting and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting.
