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Washington State University
Washington State University Office of the Provost

Gloss steps up as Graduate School interim dean

Lisa Gloss, a WSU faculty member since 1998, took the helm as interim dean of the Graduate School in August after Bill Andrefsky stepped down.

Gloss had served as associate dean of the Graduate School under Andrefsky, who is returning to his role as a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology. Gloss says he was an important mentor, and empowered her to grow as a leader.

“I wasn’t sure if I could do this when I started, but he was always very supportive, and was very good at letting me grow to take on more responsibility,” Gloss says of Andrefsky.

Gloss continues to teach in the School of Molecular Biosciences. She’s introduced a flipped-classroom format and team-based learning activities to improve student preparation and engagement. As a researcher, Gloss’ focus is on protein synthesis and kinetic processes in the appropriate regulation of DNA-templated cellular processes, such as gene regulation, DNA replication, and DNA repair.

Upon joining the Graduate School in 2014, Gloss played an integral role in launching the Professional Development Initiative, a unique joint venture between the Graduate School and the Graduate Professional Students Association (GPSA). The program offers professional and personal development opportunities for WSU graduate students to better prepare them for life during and after their schooling.

Gloss also served as coordinator for the Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program, which enables students to design their course studies to meet their individual interests.

As interim dean, Gloss is focusing on serving students and enhancing the communication between students, faculty, and staff. The Graduate School is steadily increasing in PhD and Master’s degrees granted, and Gloss will look for ways to continue the growth, a goal shared with the Drive to 25.

Gloss earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from Michigan State, her master’s in biochemistry from Cambridge, and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from UC Berkeley.