Melanie Bloom Named CAS Interim Dean
- published: 2022/03/22
- contact: Courtni Kopietz - UNO College of Arts and Sciences
- phone: UNO College of Arts and Sciences
- email: unocas@unomaha.edu
Melanie Bloom, Ph.D., has been named interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) effective June 1, 2022, and will be the first woman to lead the college as dean. Bloom replaces David Boocker, Ph.D., who has served as dean since 2008.
“Dr. Bloom has been a vital asset to the College of Arts and Sciences as both a faculty member and as an associate dean,” Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “Her focus on enhancing the student experience and wealth of institutional knowledge means our students, faculty, and staff will be in the most capable of hands during the transition process to a new dean.”
Bloom, who has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin, first joined UNO in 2005 as an assistant professor of Spanish. She later served as chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, during which the department was the recipient of the 2019 University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA). In 2020, Bloom was named the Associate Dean for Humanities and Undergraduate Education in the College of Arts and Sciences. Bloom also serves as president of the board for World Speaks Omaha — a nonprofit organization that aims to connect the community through accessible language learning — and as president of the Baright Public Library Board of Trustees.
“We’re very fortunate to have someone as qualified and dedicated as Dr. Bloom to serve as interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences,” Boocker said. “I’m confident the college will be in good hands with Dr. Bloom at the helm as a proven leader committed to the success of our college and community.”
“I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences,” Bloom said. “UNO’s College of Arts and Sciences is uniquely poised as we impact the lives of so many UNO students through our diverse academic programs. My goal is to ensure that faculty, staff, and students feel heard and supported as we look forward to the future of the college.”
As part of the dean’s office leadership team, Bloom has supported the newly launched Exploratory Studies program, helped foster conversations within the college regarding the general education curriculum, and worked to balance course schedules and faculty workloads.
“Dr. Bloom has been a respected member of the faculty here at UNO since 2005 and known as a collaborative and creative colleague,” said Sacha Kopp, Ph.D., senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “She has been a tremendous part of Dean Boocker’s team, and we are fortunate to have her leadership at this key juncture while a national search for permanent dean commences.”
“Dr. Bloom has been a vital asset to the College of Arts and Sciences as both a faculty member and as an associate dean,” Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, said. “Her focus on enhancing the student experience and wealth of institutional knowledge means our students, faculty, and staff will be in the most capable of hands during the transition process to a new dean.”
Bloom, who has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Texas at Austin, first joined UNO in 2005 as an assistant professor of Spanish. She later served as chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, during which the department was the recipient of the 2019 University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA). In 2020, Bloom was named the Associate Dean for Humanities and Undergraduate Education in the College of Arts and Sciences. Bloom also serves as president of the board for World Speaks Omaha — a nonprofit organization that aims to connect the community through accessible language learning — and as president of the Baright Public Library Board of Trustees.
“We’re very fortunate to have someone as qualified and dedicated as Dr. Bloom to serve as interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences,” Boocker said. “I’m confident the college will be in good hands with Dr. Bloom at the helm as a proven leader committed to the success of our college and community.”
“I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences,” Bloom said. “UNO’s College of Arts and Sciences is uniquely poised as we impact the lives of so many UNO students through our diverse academic programs. My goal is to ensure that faculty, staff, and students feel heard and supported as we look forward to the future of the college.”
As part of the dean’s office leadership team, Bloom has supported the newly launched Exploratory Studies program, helped foster conversations within the college regarding the general education curriculum, and worked to balance course schedules and faculty workloads.
“Dr. Bloom has been a respected member of the faculty here at UNO since 2005 and known as a collaborative and creative colleague,” said Sacha Kopp, Ph.D., senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “She has been a tremendous part of Dean Boocker’s team, and we are fortunate to have her leadership at this key juncture while a national search for permanent dean commences.”