Holly Matusovich, professor in the Department of Engineering Education, has been appointed associate dean for graduate and professional studies in the College of Engineering.

Matusovich started in the newly created role on Feb. 10. She will focus on implementing the college’s strategic plan in regards to graduate students, graduate and professional programs, and related activities as a member of the College of Engineering’s leadership team and will collaborate closely with departments, college organizations, Graduate School leadership, and institutes as well as external constituents and stakeholders.

“Through her work in engineering education, Holly comes into this role with a wealth of relevant experience to support graduate studies,” said Julia M. Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “As the first person to take on this position for the college, she’s thinking strategically about how to establish the most effective systems and structures not only for students, but also for our graduate programs, policies, and practices. Her expertise in these areas has already proved incredibly valuable.”

Matusovich has been a member of the Virginia Tech faculty since 2008 and previously served as assistant department head for undergraduate programs in the Department of Engineering Education from 2018 to 2021 and as assistant department head for graduate programs from 2014 to 2017. With a passion for graduate student mentoring, her research areas of focus include motivation and related frameworks in regards to student engagement in learning as well as student retention in engineering undergraduate programs, graduate programs, and industry careers. She also examines faculty motivations for teaching and faculty mentorship.

“Today’s graduate students are our future academic leaders,” said Matusovich. “Supporting and preparing them for that path is a great responsibility. It’s important that students remain the center of our work and we hear their perspectives on what they think is needed to face future challenges. In light of the college’s strategic priorities and Dean Ross’s leadership, there’s no better time to prioritize these topics.”

Matusovich’s role was created this spring by splitting the college’s existing position of associate dean for research and graduate studies, currently held by Pamela VandeVord, into two distinct positions to provide each area with additional focus and resources. As the associate dean for research and innovation, VandeVord will continue to further the college’s research mission and goals, while Matusovich takes the lead on graduate students and programs.

“We’ve got ambitious plans for both our research enterprise and the future of graduate programs in the College of Engineering,” said Ross. “The timing is right to make sure each of these areas can be fully supported for the important work ahead of them.”

Matusovich will lead efforts to examine the rationale and planning for possible graduate program growth across the college and its departments, not only for the Blacksburg campus, but also for greater Washington, D.C., metro area locations, including the Innovation Campus.

Another part of Matusovich’s work will address the graduate student experience along with mechanisms of student success – and related barriers and challenges. Areas of emphasis will include financial security for graduate students, work expectations, accessibility issues, mental health awareness, considerations for international students, and leadership training, among others.  

“What’s happened over the last several years, between the COVID pandemic and widespread social inequities, has really exposed the fragility of the graduate education system,” said Matusovich. “Systemic issues have always been present in graduate education, but now they’re more visible than ever.”

Matusovich also noted that graduate students in engineering programs often come with unique needs and considerations, such as funding models attached to faculty research grants and the intersection of the advisor/mentor/supervisor relationship between students and their faculty advisors.

She has seen many of these issues first-hand in her extensive work with graduate resource programs, including through her leadership of Virginia Tech’s Dissertation Institute, now in its sixth year, as well as the Rising Doctoral Institute, which will hold its third session this spring in collaboration with several partner institutions.

“Many of the lessons we’ve learned through these programs are already being implemented in the College of Engineering – the New Horizons Graduate Scholars Program is a good example,” she said. “The hope is that we can identify additional gaps and implement more of these effective practices into college processes.”

Matusovich has received a number of college and university awards in recognition of her leadership and mentorship efforts. She has also been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on 19 externally funded research projects, with her share of the funding topping $3 million, and has authored 35 journal publications and over 80 conference papers.

Matusovich holds a bachelor’s of chemical engineering from Cornell University, a master’s in materials science and engineering from the University of Connecticut, and a Ph.D. in engineering education from Purdue University.   

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