Nichole Fazio joins Emory College of Arts and Sciences this fall as the new senior associate dean for undergraduate education.
Photo by Charissa Johnson Photography.
In her role, Fazio will lead the Office for Undergraduate Education (OUE) in Emory College, the university’s largest undergraduate unit. With more than 80 dedicated staff members, OUE supports students’ academic progress from orientation to graduation.
OUE provides critical, comprehensive support to Emory College’s 5,600 students through professional academic advising and innovative programs such as Education Abroad, peer mentoring and Emory College Seminars 101 for first-year students. The office also fosters strategic faculty partnerships and support networks focused on delivering an exceptional liberal arts education.
Fazio joins Emory from the University of Chicago, where she served as associate dean of undergraduate research and scholars’ programs and executive director of the College Center for Research and Fellowships. A published scholar and award-winning educator, she brings a deep understanding of the intersection between academic rigor, student well-being and purpose-driven education, says Barbara Krauthamer, dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.
“Dean Fazio is a visionary leader and educator with more than two decades of experience designing, launching and overseeing high-impact academic programs that center the undergraduate experience and elevate institutional excellence,” says Krauthamer.
“Throughout her career, she has built programs that not only meet but anticipate the evolving needs of students.”
At the University of Chicago, Fazio led the development of the university’s first comprehensive center dedicated to undergraduate research and national fellowships. Under her direction, the center became a national model, supporting thousands of students annually through individualized advising, expansive programming and a strong record of Fulbright, Rhodes and other major fellowship recipients.
She also spearheaded the creation of new research-focused undergraduate majors and experiential learning initiatives, including international research partnerships and faculty-mentored learning experiences.
A key part of her leadership role at Emory College will be to collaborate across academic and administrative units to create seamless, student-centered support systems that build on the strengths of OUE. Known for her adaptive, data-informed and student-centered approach, she will help build campuswide partnerships to advance Emory College’s liberal arts academic mission.
“It is a privilege to join Emory College of Arts and Sciences and the Office for Undergraduate Education — each distinguished by an enduring commitment to excellence in liberal arts education, the advancement of undergraduate scholarship, and the holistic development of students,” says Fazio.
“I am excited to collaborate with dedicated educators in cultivating a dynamic academic environment that champions rigorous inquiry, civic responsibility and purposeful personal growth — empowering students to pursue lives of meaning as their unique talents are elevated in service to the world,” she says.
Fazio earned her doctorate and master’s degree, with distinction, in the History of Art from the University of Oxford in England. She also holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst University and a Bachelor of Arts in art history from Seattle Pacific University.