After a nationwide search, Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Lewis Roberts started Friday, January 24 as the university’s new associate dean for STEM.
The university hired Roberts in fall 2010 after she completed a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in plant biology from Rutgers University, where she gained expertise in plant microbe interactions and mycology.
A member of the Million Dollar Club, Roberts has brought in a significant amount of grant funding and currently serves as PI on a USDA grant that funds a summer research fellowship program for undergraduates in plant health and protection.
Roberts has been an active member of the faculty and was tenured and promoted to full professor of biology. Additionally, she chaired the Biology Department for three years before serving as interim associate dean for STEM since fall 2023.
