Colleagues,

I take this opportunity to announce the appointments, reappointments, and extensions of various chairs and directors across the College, effective July 1, 2025, unless noted otherwise. I also offer heartfelt thanks to our outgoing unit heads for their dedication to our academic mission, teaching, research, and service.

The leadership appointments below have been reviewed and approved by UCR’s Academic Personnel Office and shared with Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Watkins.

Please visit our main college website for a list of all CHASS department chairs and center directors. Please join me in congratulating our new and continuing department chairs and directors.

Yours sincerely,

Daryle Williams
Professor and Dean
College of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
University of California, Riverside

New Appointments

Department of Anthropology
Christina Torres, Chair
3-year appointment

Department of Art
Anna Betbeze, Chair
3-year appointment

Department of Black Study
Anthony Jerry, Chair
3-year appointment

Department of Ethnic Studies
Robert Perez, Chair
5-year reappointment, retroactive to July 1, 2024

Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies
Crystal Baik, Chair
3-year appointment

Gluck Fellows Program
Liz Przybylski, Director
3-year appointment

Department of History
David Biggs, Chair
3-year appointment

Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production
Robin Russin, Chair
3-year appointment

Social Sciences Laboratory
Jennifer Merolla, Director
3-year appointment

Department of Sociology
Robert Clark, Chair
5-year appointment, retroactive to July 1, 2024

Reappointments

Department of Comparative Literature & Languages
Jeffrey Sacks, Chair
5-year reappointment

Liberal Studies
Heidi Brayman, Co-Director
3-year reappointment

Liberal Studies 
Stephen James, Co-Director
2-year reappointment

Extensions

Department of Media and Cultural Studies
Setsu Shigematsu, Acting Chair
6-month extension

Pending Transitions  

• Associate Dean for Social Sciences (search to be launched in Fall quarter)
• Faculty Equity Advisor (search open)
• Director, Global Studies
• Director, Southeast Asian Studies