Jill Sible appointed assistant vice president for undergraduate education
Jill Sible, professor of biological sciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been appointed assistant vice president for undergraduate education in the Division of Undergraduate Education.
Sible will oversee implementation of the Vision Plan for Undergraduate Education and coordinate undergraduate curricular development and improvement across campuses. In addition, the Office of First Year Experiences, the Office of Curriculum for Liberal Education, and the Office of Undergraduate Research will report to Sible.
Sible joined the university as an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in 1998. She is now a professor in the department. Sible most recently served as associate dean for curriculum, instruction, and advising in the College of Science.
“This new position is critical in our efforts to enhance undergraduate education across campus,” said Daniel Wubah, vice president for undergraduate education and deputy provost. “Dr. Sible’s background and expertise make her a perfect fit to take on this role as she will oversee the reform process for Curriculum for Liberal Education and expand research opportunities for undergraduate students, among other projects and initiatives.”
While at the university, Sible has secured more than $7.3 million in research and education grants. She has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including a Certificate of Teaching Excellence, the University Alumni Teaching Award, and the Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholar Award. She received the College of Science Diversity Award in 2007 for involving women and students from underrepresented groups in her research laboratory and her implementation of creative pedagogies to retain women and minorities in science.
“I couldn’t be happier about this opportunity to help the university achieve its vision of providing rigorous and engaging learning experiences that bring out the best in each of our students,” Sible said. “Virginia Tech students are truly special in the passion and compassion that they bring to our campus. They are the motivation that compels me to wake up every morning and do my best work.”
Sible received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire and her Ph.D. in cell, molecular, and developmental biology from Tufts University School of Medicine. She was a postdoctoral fellow for Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
