Oregon State University appoints new College of Science dean
Eleanor Feingold, a statistical geneticist and associate dean with nearly 20 years of leadership experience at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named dean of Oregon State University’s College of Science. She will start Oct. 31.
“I am passionate about creative approaches to STEM education, diversity, equity and inclusion and research that has an impact on the state, nation and world,” Feingold said. “The College of Science and Oregon State University have tremendous strengths in these areas, and I am excited to further advance these endeavors.”
Oregon State’s College of Science is home to the life, statistical, physical and mathematical sciences. The college supports more than 4,000 students and brought in more than $18 million in research funding during the 2022 fiscal year.
“Dr. Feingold brings deep experience as a senior administrator in one of the nation’s leading research universities, and she has amassed an impressive portfolio of scholarship and teaching over the course of her career,” said Edward Feser, OSU provost and executive vice president. “As dean, she will be prioritizing further strengthening the College of Science’s research enterprise and advancing OSU’s goals in student success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
Feingold has worked at the University of Pittsburgh since 1997. She has served at the university’s School of Public Health as associate dean for education, vice dean, chair of the Department of Human Genetics, and most recently associate dean for data analytics and special projects.
During the 2021–22 academic year, Feingold was the recipient of an American Council on Education Fellowship, which took her to two colleges: Fort Lewis College and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She spent a semester at each working with the presidents and provosts on strategic initiatives related to undergraduate education.
She started her tenure at the University of Pittsburgh as an assistant professor of human genetics and became a professor in 2010. Her academic career began at Emory University in 1993 as an assistant professor of biostatistics. She is a fellow of the American Statistical Association, and her research is in statistical genetics and genomics.
Feingold received a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in statistics from Stanford University. Between earning her degrees, she worked in operations research in the electrical utility industry.
Vrushali Bokil will continue to serve as interim dean of OSU’s College of Science until Feingold’s appointment. Bokil will then return to her associate dean and professor positions.