PHILADELPHIA (August 2, 2017) — Shaily Menon, Ph.D., an accomplished biologist and administrator, joined Saint Joseph’s University as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on August 1.

Menon most recently held the position of associate dean for research, facilities planning and community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Allendale, Michigan. In that role, she worked tirelessly to foster a culture of academic excellence, providing grant support, enhancing research and creative activities for faculty and students, and acting as a leader to improve and renovate facilities for the sciences, arts and humanities.

An ardent advocate of the value of the liberal arts, Menon participated in a revision of GVSU’s general education program to create sets of elective courses focused on contemporary issues. She believes strongly that many of the current and future challenges facing society require interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration between leaders from varied fields.

Menon brings to Saint Joseph’s a wealth of experience in setting priorities, identifying goals and shaping the future of an organization at multiple levels. She played an integral role in the development and execution of strategic plans as chair of GVSU’s biology department, as associate dean and as a member of the University’s Strategic Positioning Task Force.

In addition to this work, Menon is a firm believer in the importance of regional and global engagement. She has developed courses in which students worked with local organizations to address targeted community issues. She has also been an active supporter of underrepresented populations, serving on the board of directors for Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education and as an inclusion advocate at GVSU.

“This appointment comes at a time of great opportunity for both the College and Saint Joseph’s as a whole,” says Jeanne Brady, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am confident in Dr. Menon’s ability to discern strengths and identify challenges, to encourage growth and innovation, and to lead the College in preparing its students for success in the classroom and beyond our walls.”

Menon received an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in zoology, natural resources and anthropology at The Ohio State University in 1993 and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Massachusetts at Boston from 1994 to 1997. She earned master’s degrees in animal behavior and ecology from the University of South Carolina and in animal physiology from the University of Bombay (now known as the University of Mumbai) in Mumbai, India. She received a bachelor’s degree from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.