Meet Dean Frankie Santos Laanan
Dr. Frankie Santos Laanan is the Dean of the College of Education. He is also a Professor
in the Departments of Education, Culture, & Society and Educational Leadership and
Policy. Prior to this role, Laanan was appointed as the college’s inaugural Associate
Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs (July 2021). Before coming to the University
of Utah, he was Department Head of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Technology
Studies at The University of Alabama and Professor of Higher Education Administration.
Dr. Laanan is currently Principal Investigator (PI) of a Spencer Foundation Grant (Ingram State Technical College: Exploratory Case Study of Incarcerated Adults in Career and Technical Education). He has participated in the University of Utah’s Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA), a $19 million project funded by United States Agency for International Development to improve Pakistan’s colleges and universities to address the country’s mismatched skills and workplace needs.
Laanan was born and raised on the island of Guam. A Pacific Islander scholar and first-generation college student, he is passionate about engaging in educational research to investigate critical questions about college access and the success of students from all backgrounds. He is also committed to translating research into practice and policy to effect transformational change in colleges and universities. He earned his B.A. in Political Science, M.A., and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He believes in education as a tool for social good and has dedicated his career to advancing educational access and removing educational inequities through evidence-based policies and procedures.