Prof. Amanda Woodward appointed Deputy Dean of the Division of Social Sciences

Amanda Woodward, the William S. Gray Professor of Psychology, has been appointed Deputy Dean of Faculty Affairs for the Division of the Social Sciences. The three-year term starts July 1. Woodward is currently the chair of the Department of Psychology, director of the Infant Learning and Development Laboratory and president of the Cognitive Development Society.

In making the announcement, Dean David Nirenberg praised Woodward’s sensitive and intelligent leadership in her roles as researcher, teacher, colleague and department chair. In her new role, Woodward will support the dean in various aspects of faculty and academic support, as well as facilitating the emergence of new research initiatives, programs and centers; supporting diversity initiatives within the division; supporting review processes and coordinating development of the multiple graduate programs.

Woodward joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1993, spent five years at the University of Maryland and returned to UChicago in 2010. Her research investigates social cognition during infancy and childhood. She is particularly interested in how children reason about and learn from the actions of other people.

The process of identifying a new chair for the Department of Psychology will begin immediately.