Arts & Sciences Leadership

Dr. Joan Branham​, professor of art history, was appointed interim dean of the School of Arts & Sciences in 2022 after serving for eight years as associate dean of faculty development and curriculum since 2014. Previously, she was Chair of the​ Department of Art and Art History for six years (2008-14) and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence for four years (2003-07). Dr. Branham continues to be active in her field, publishing on sacred space in late-antique Jewish and Christian art. She was invited by the Harvard Divinity School to be Acting Director of the Women’s Studies in Religion Program (2007-08), and since 2018 she has been Chair of the Board of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem after fulfilling her leadership roles as the institute’s Vice President (2006-12) and Chair of Fellowships (2004-2017). 

Dr. Elisabeth Arévalo, associate professor of biology, was appointed interim associate dean for the School of Arts & Sciences in 2022. Her responsibilities within the office include reviewing and approving sabbatical applications, managing scholarly programs, interfacing with the SAS leadership team to advance programs in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and joining the Core Curriculum Administrative Team (CCAT), among other tasks. Dr. Arévalo has been a member of the Department of Biology for 24 years. She has served the College as the representative for the NSF RI-EPSCoR program for eight years, as well as the first Chair for the Animal Care and Use Committee and a member of the STEM Advisory Board as well as serving in several other college-wide committees.

Denise Godin was appointed Associate Dean & Senior Director of School of Arts & Sciences Advising in 2022. Godin brings over 27 years of experience working in higher education – primarily academic advising, career education, and experiential learning. Godin formerly served as Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies (2007-2022), where her primary emphasis was on managing the degree progress of seniors and graduate students, positively impacting the College’s overall graduation rate. Godin has also been Adjunct Faculty in the MED in Higher Education Program since 2016. In her former role as Assistant Director of Career Services/College Internship Coordinator, Godin instituted the College’s first standardized Learning Agreement for Academic Internships and Field Experiences and was the primary author to the College’s First Handbook for Academic Internships and Field Experiences.

Dr. Maureen Outlaw, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, was appointed associate dean for the School of Arts & Sciences in 2018. Her responsibilities within the office include overseeing matters of diversity/inclusion within Arts & Sciences, as well as course enrollment and faculty workload review. Dr. Outlaw is a member of both the Department of Sociology & Anthropology and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. She served as chairperson of the Sociology Department for four years (2012-2016) and director of the Women’s Studies Program for two years (2010-2012). Her work examines the situational context of gendered and hate-based violence and how stratifying factors and motive impact contextual factors. Dr. Outlaw also currently works with the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence (ISPN) in Providence on their data/evaluation team. She is the author of a digital textbook, Revealing Criminology, and several articles. She is currently working on a project exploring the experiences of folks in the LGBTQ+ population with the life-long process of ‘coming out’.