Dr. Tanya Casas named interim dean of business and humanities

Dr. Tanya Casas has been selected to serve as interim dean of the School of Business and Humanities and will assume this position on January 1, 2017. Dr. Casas joined DelVal’s liberal arts faculty in 2007 and is currently an associate professor of sociology and academic director of the graduate policy studies program. Dr. Casas earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in developmental sociology with a focus on state, economy and society from Cornell University.  Her research interests include: indigenous and social justice movements, identity politics, extractive economies, rights of nature, post-colonialism, development policy, environmental justice, and food security and studies.

Her interdisciplinary background has afforded her the opportunity to teach courses across disciplinary boundaries within and outside the School of Business and Humanities. She has had significant experiences in other countries where she worked with various indigenous community organizations and community leaders.

Dr. Casas has published research in publications such as: American Behavioral Scientist, Native Americas and Agrosociedad. She has also presented her work at national and international conferences and serves as a council member of the Political Economy and World Systems section of the American Sociological Association.

A very active member of the DelVal community, Dr. Casas has served on and spearheaded several different committees including: the Race, Culture and Diversity Committee, the Bias Incidence Response Team, the International Education Committee, the Curriculum Committee and the Student Conduct Board and the Institutional Review Board. She is also involved in broad campus-wide initiatives such as: the Food Systems Institute, One Health and the Precarious Alliance Environmental Symposium.

She is a member of the Doylestown Township Environmental Advisory Committee and recently accepted a position on the Advocacy Committee of Philabundance.

"Serving the public through such activities is an important way that Dr. Casas promotes community and helps forge links that benefit our students," said Dr. Bashar Hanna, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. "I thank Dr. Casas for accepting this critical assignment as we continue to evolve DelVal into a small, comprehensive university with four distinct, yet interconnected schools."