AUSTIN, Texas — Vice Provost Judith Langlois has been appointed permanent dean of graduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin. Langlois, who will retain her post as vice provost, has been serving as interim dean of the school since Victoria Rodríguez stepped down in January 2012.
The appointment is the first appointment of a dean by Executive Vice President and Provost Gregory L. Fenves. He said that Langlois’ selection recognizes the strong leadership she has provided to the school and in accomplishing other important goals for the university, including gender equity.
“Judy Langlois has shown great dedication and leadership to the university over many years, while at the same time maintaining a productive research lab,” Fenves said. “She is the perfect choice to lead the Graduate School as it continues its important work recruiting and supporting outstanding graduate students and the graduate programs across campus.”
The Graduate School oversees 78 doctoral and 116 master’s degree programs including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, business and arts. It also provides access to resources, services and funding to support the more than 11,000 graduate students enrolled in the university.
More than 800 doctorates and almost 3,000 master’s degrees are awarded by The University of Texas at Austin each year, which is among the most in the United States.
“I greatly look forward to working with Provost Fenves and President Bill Powers to advance this great university. My goal is to move our many excellent graduate programs to the next level by attracting the best minds across the country and the world with nationally competitive stipends and our cutting edge research and teaching programs,” Langlois said. “Our combination of outstanding graduate and undergraduate students and a renowned faculty create a synergy making The University of Texas at Austin one of the best public institutions in the country. That said, we still have more work to do, and I am eager to begin.”
Appointed vice provost in 2007, Langlois, who received her Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, joined the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin in 1973 and through the years has served in several key leadership roles on campus. She is a past associate dean of liberal arts and twice served as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, in 1998 and 2006. She is also currently the Charles and Sarah Seay Regents’ Professor of Psychology and leads the Langlois Social Development Lab, which has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for the past 25 years.
In recognition of her contributions to The University of Texas at Austin, Langlois has been honored with one of the university’s highest awards. In 2005-06 she was one of two recipients of the Civitatis Award, which is presented to faculty members who have shown exemplary campus citizenship throughout a career of service at the university.
