University of Utah Names New Dean for the College of Education
The University of Utah named Dr. María E. Fránquiz as dean of the College of Education,
effective January 6, 2014.
“María Fránquiz is a nationally recognized scholar in the field of education who brings to Utah and the university a rich and extensive background of teaching, research and community engagement,” said Michael Hardman, Chief Global Officer. “She is committed to the highest quality faculty scholarship, has a lifelong passion for teaching and possesses a deep understanding of literacy, learning and culture.”
Fránquiz received her doctorate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1995 and taught qualitative research methods and bilingual teacher education at The University of Texas at Austin, where she was also affiliate faculty in the Center for Mexican American Studies. She holds the Maxine Foreman Zarrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Education and served as assistant dean of Faculty Development in the College of Education.
Fránquiz has coedited two books and is author of numerous publications in professional journals and academic books. She is coeditor of the “Bilingual Research Journal", the premier journal in the field of bilingual education, and has served on various national and international editorial boards.
María Fránquiz is a native of Puerto Rico but was taught in diverse communities during her elementary and secondary education, including Panama and Germany as well as several states in the U.S. Her passion for bilingual and multicultural education stems from these experiences.
“The outstanding work, reputation and commitment of the faculty and staff in addressing the issues facing education during challenging economic times led me to accept the invitation for this position,” Fránquiz said. “I’m especially looking forward to strengthening existing school-community-university partnerships recognized in the region and beyond.”
Fránquiz replaces Michael Hardman who served as dean of the College of Education until 2012 and is currently the Chief Global Officer.