Graduate School dean appointed Council of Graduate Schools chair

Karen P. DePauw, dean of Virginia Tech's Graduate School, became chair of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) at its 48th annual meeting held in Washington D.C. last week.

“Dean DePauw has been active in the national graduate education community for over a decade. We are honored to have someone with her experience and commitment to training the next generation of scholars and researchers as our board chair,” said Debra W. Stewart, CGS president.

DePauw will replace William B. Russel as CGS chair. Russel is dean of the graduate school at Princeton University.

The CGS is an organization of over 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education, research and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees. CGS member institutions award 94 percent of the doctoral degrees and 80 percent of the master’s degrees in the United States.

According to Stewart, the CGS mission is to improve and advance graduate education, which it accomplishes through advocacy in the federal policy arena, research, and the development and dissemination of best practices.

A 12-member board of directors drawn from member institutions governs the CGS. Board members are nominated and elected by the full membership for set terms.