By Alli Dayton, Managing/News Editor
On Wednesday, Oct. 19, President Bob Iuliano sent out a campus-wide email with an announcement about the new Provost, Dr. Jamila Bookwala, who accepted the position following a national search to fill the role.
Iuliano began the email with a description about Bookwala’s future role at the college. She will begin her tenure in July 2023 as the Provost, a member of the President’s Council, and a Professor of Psychology.
Following his introduction, Iuliano provided information about Bookwala’s experience as an administrator.
Bookwala earned the Daniel H. Weiss Award for Leadership and Vision for her contributions toward accreditation efforts at Lafayette College. She also served on the strategic task force overseeing Lafayette’s COVID-19 procedures.
Iuliano referred to Bookwala as “a passionate teacher-scholar, dedicated to fostering an engaging learning environment for her students and faculty colleagues.”
At Lafayette, Bookwala also worked as the Dean of Faculty, the Dean of Academic Initiatives, and the Dean of Curriculum and Research where she “reported directly to the Provost,” said Iuliano
Iuliano then moved to a description of Bookwala’s educational background and her success as an educator.
She earned master’s and doctorate degrees in social psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in psychology from the City University of New York, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Xavier’s College, University of Bombay (Mumbai) in India.
Bookwala has earned numerous awards for her teaching, in addition to publishing over 60 works with research funding from organizations like the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, she is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD).
Iuliano concluded his email by thanking the members of the search advisory committee for their assistance with the search. He also thanked Provost Chris Zappe for his time serving in the role over the past 12 years.
