Dean Rosario (Rosie) Ceballo began her professional career at U-M as a faculty member for more than two decades in the Department of Psychology and the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. Dean Ceballo—who earned her B.A. in psychology from Yale University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical and developmental psychology from U-M—previously held several administrative roles, including chair of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies and associate dean for the social sciences in LSA. Before returning to the University of Michigan as dean of LSA, she served as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University.
At U-M, Dean Ceballo has been recognized with the John Dewey Award for outstanding undergraduate instruction, the Harold R. Johnson Diversity Service Award, and the El Primero Award presented by La Casa students. She received the Women in Psychology Leadership Award from the American Psychological Association (APA) and was elected to the APA’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status, serving as chair in the last year of her term.
Dean Ceballo is a nationally recognized, interdisciplinary, NIH- and NSF-funded scholar whose research examines the strengths and resilience of families living in poverty, with a focus on adolescents who experience community violence. In a second line of research, she investigates the experience of infertility and the impact of race- and class-based stereotypes about reproduction on women of color.
LSA Magazine asked her about her return to LSA and the value of a liberal arts education.
LSA: Welcome back! We’re glad you’re here. What drew you back to LSA?
RC: LSA is a truly remarkable, inspirational community of scholars, students, and staff. The University of Michigan and LSA are my home. I was a student at U-M so I am an alum of this great university. I then served on the faculty of LSA for 26 years. The teachers who taught me, the mentors who guided me, the colleagues whom I worked with as a faculty member, the students who I was privileged to teach, the graduate students who worked on my research team, the staff in my departments and in the college … I was drawn back by knowing the incredible caliber of the people who are part of the LSA community.
LSA: What are your top priorities, especially in your first year as dean?
RC: My most immediate priority is to listen. I want to meet and talk with as many students, faculty, and staff as I can and learn about what is on people’s minds. Although I know many things about the LSA community because I was here for a long time, I also know that many things can change in three years, and I look forward to learning about where the LSA community is today.
My priorities will be guided by the LSA mission and our values, which means that I will be a strong advocate for the value and transformational power of a liberal arts education, for the importance of diversity and inclusive excellence, and for prioritizing a culture of purpose and well-being in which all students can thrive and feel a sense of belonging.
LSA is a rigorous, intellectual powerhouse and I am committed to supporting our faculty to do what they do best: pushing boundaries to advance science and knowledge in their research and teaching our students, the next generation of world leaders and citizens.
LSA: What is something you wish more people knew about LSA?
RC: I wish more people knew about all of the ways in which LSA offers our students the opportunity to belong to smaller communities by assisting professors in their research labs, participating in the Michigan in Washington program, joining any one of our many student programs like optiMize and Women in Leadership, or belonging to one of the 10 residential learning communities on campus.
LSA: The university has just kicked off its Look to Michigan fundraising campaign. How can a campaign like this benefit our students, faculty, and staff?
RC: Philanthropy plays a crucial role in allowing LSA to do everything that we do as a college. Without the generosity of our alums and donors, we would be greatly limited in our ability to support the well-being of students, to launch programs that foster student success, to meet students’ financial needs, to provide important experiential opportunities for students, and to advance the innovative, breakthrough research conducted by our world-renowned faculty.
LSA: What role can alums play in affecting LSA’s future?
RC: LSA alums are a large and powerful constituency who can be found in every corner of the world. I hope our alums find ways to stay engaged with LSA, and I know that their engagement will look different at different points in their lives. Some alums will help interview prospective students, some will mentor current students on campus through undergraduate programs, others will provide contributions that help fund important initiatives. Our alums are an important part of our community, and LSA will always be their home. I hope they come back and visit us often.
LSA: These days a lot of people question the value of the liberal arts. What would you say to them?
RC: I have so much to say on this topic because I’m a fierce advocate and believer in the value of a liberal arts education. I know that there’s been a rising focus on acquiring marketable skills for well-paying jobs. Of course, the ability to earn a living is important. Still, the data simply do not support the idea that you cannot acquire a good paying job or have a successful career with a liberal arts degree. On the contrary—so many successful people across every job sector and field attribute their professional success to the breadth of their liberal arts education.
I believe a liberal arts education teaches students not just to think critically, but also to dialogue across our differences respectfully, to remain open to new perspectives, to embrace intellectual exploration, to tolerate uncertainty, and to foster concern for the greater good, for service to others, and for social justice. These are such crucial skills. Also and importantly, a liberal arts education teaches students the essential value of embracing interdisciplinary approaches to tackle large, complex problems.
LSA: How has U-M changed since you were a student here?
RC: One of the best changes has been the expansion of the LSA building! LSA students now have a central building on campus with lots of beautiful space for studying, holding meetings, working with fellow students, and taking a break from a busy day.
LSA: How have you changed since you first came to Michigan?
RC: I grew up in New York City, the daughter of poor immigrants from the Dominican Republic. My parents knew nothing about the educational system in this country. When I went to college, I had to explain to them that even after four years of college in the U.S. I would still not be a doctor or a lawyer when I graduated.
After college, I worked in D.C. for two years at a public interest lobbying group before deciding to become a psychologist. I had never been in the Midwest when I arrived in Ann Arbor for my graduate school interview in clinical psychology. The size and stature of the psychology department and its faculty simply blew me away! I was thrilled to be admitted to U-M and thought that I would return to New York as soon as I finished my dissertation.
As a first-gen student, college and graduate school meant managing a mix of hard work, financial aid, work study jobs, and a heavy dose of imposter syndrome. I never imagined that I would be invited to join the faculty at the University of Michigan and certainly never imagined that I would have the honor of one day serving as the dean of LSA. Like all of us over time, I’ve changed a great deal since I first arrived on this campus as a young prospective student. One thing that hasn’t changed is my love of reading, writing, learning, and being part of this vibrant intellectual community of scholars and students.
LSA: What is one of your favorite places on campus?
RC: I have so many favorite places on this campus. Yesterday, I watched a toddler race towards the Cube, determined to push it and make it move.
A supportive parent followed behind and provided a little help to make it go, and I smiled thinking that I was watching a future Wolverine in action.
LSA: The theme of this issue of LSA Magazine is “glimmers of hope.” What makes you feel hopeful?
RC: What a wonderful theme! Our students make me feel hopeful. I think that’s why I became a professor—because you never stop learning from your students and being inspired by their energy and passion to change the world.
It’s easy to get caught up in doom and gloom, but glimmers of hope abound. LSA alums, faculty, students, and staff are creating positive change in the lives of people, animals, and the planet.
Two LSA-led research teams have set out to protect frogs, bats, and bees in innovative ways—to preserve their species, the planet, and even our own lives.
With her words and images, LSA alum Supriya Kelkar brings a fresh voice to children’s literature and inspires readers “to decolonize, to hold their heads high, and to never forget their shine.”
A bright future shouldn’t be limited by financial barriers. LSA is committed to making it possible for every admitted student to afford an education here. Donor support helps create access while supporting tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and doers in their hopes to make a difference in our world.
| Release Date: | 11/12/2024 |
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| Category: | Faculty; Students |
| Tags: | LSA; LSA Magazine; Administration; Rosario Ceballo |
