Deans
Guiding Our University
Our deans lead the academic experiences at our schools and colleges through strong principles and values. Diverse in personal history and unified in aspirations, our deans help determine the strategic initiatives and purpose-based goals that influence research and scholarship at our University. Their direction helps us to achieve our objectives in experiential learning, diversity and sustainability.
Meet our deans below—and visit their schools and colleges to learn about what they're doing to support our efforts on campus and in our communities.
Meet the Deans
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Naomi Boyd, dean of the Daniels College of Business
Naomi Boyd is the 24th dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. She brings to DU a rich background in government and academia with over two decades of expertise in strategy, fiscal management, and academic administration. She is committed to philanthropy and community engagement, resulting in recording-breaking contributions and impactful industry collaborations. Her approach to leadership is student-centered, with a focus on experiential learning. Dean Boyd champions the entrepreneurial spirit and works to ensure students receive an education that prepares them to succeed, including developing opportunities to work hand in hand with industry executives on real-word, impactful projects.
Prior to joining DU, Boyd served as dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business. As well, she spent 14 years in pivotal roles at West Virginia University. Dean Boyd holds a PhD in finance from George Washington University. She earned her MBA from Texas Tech University and her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Her significant scholarly contributions in financial market dynamics have earned her recognition as an industry thought leader, and her career is anchored by transformative leadership and an unwavering commitment to education and innovation.
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Henrika McCoy, dean of the Graduate School of Social Work
Dr. Henrika McCoy is the Morris Endowed Dean and professor at the Graduate School of Social Work. Across her career, she has served as a researcher, clinician and case manager and worked in partnership with community members and experts. She has focused predominately on the experiences of Black boys with mental health issues that precipitated their involvement in the juvenile legal system and those of young Black men ages 18 to 24 and their experiences with violence. Overall, her scholarship explores the impact of structural and systemic racism on Black persons in America
Prior to joining GSSW, she served as an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin and interim associate dean for academic affairs and student services and associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago. She received her Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, Master of Jurisprudence from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis.
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Michelle Knight-Manuel, dean of the Morgridge College of Education
Serving as the Dean of Morgridge College of Education (MCE) since July 2022, Dr. Michelle Knight-Manuel joined the DU family with a robust research agenda and two co-authored books focused on culturally relevant education, pedagogy, college access and immigrant youth's civic engagement. As a Professor of Education at Teachers' College, Columbia University, she served as Executive Editor of the nation's oldest leading journal in the field of education, Teachers College Record, and as Director of Culturally Relevant College and Career Readiness in the NYC public school system. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from UCLA and her M.S. in TESOL at Monterey Institute of International Studies.
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Andrei Kutateladze, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Dean of the Division of Natural Sciences & Mathematics since 2012, and with the University since 1995, Dr. Andrei Kutateladze has over 140 peer-reviewed papers and five patents to his name. Dedicated to innovation in his field, Dr. Kutateladze has been a member of sub-committee on Photochemistry of the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry since 2003. He is Distinguished Scholar and also holds DU's highest academic distinction: the John Evans Professorship. His research laboratory develops novel methods for synthesis of complex therapeutic agents tested by the National Cancer Institute.
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Michael Levine-Clark, dean of University Libraries
Michael Levine-Clark is the dean of University Libraries, where he oversees library collections, services, and spaces to ensure all DU students can access the academic resources they need. Levine-Clark supports our efforts in designing and developing knowledge to enhance our support systems and the visibility of DU research. He serves on a variety of national and international publisher and vendor library advisory boards. Levine-Clark also writes and speaks regularly on trends in academic library collection development practices.
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Frederick "Fritz" Mayer, dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies
Frederick ‘Fritz’ Mayer, Ph.D., is the dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Dean Mayer's research interests include international trade and economic globalization and the role of storytelling in politics and collective action. He has published two single-author books, four educational publications, and numerous articles and chapters. He is affiliated with the American Political Science Association, the International Studies Association, and the Association of Public Policy and Management. Prior to DU, Dean Mayer served as professor of public policy, political science and environment; associate dean; director of the Center for Political Leadership, Innovation and Service; and director of the Program on Global Policy and Governance at the Terry Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.
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Michael McGuire, dean of University College
Michael McGuire, dean of the University College, has been a member of the DU family since 1993. He previously served as interim dean, when he brought together a board of leaders from both within and outside the University to develop a strategic plan for University College. Under his leadership, University College has achieved national rankings in the top 50 for online programming, and has become a leader in instructional design and support. McGuire has spent two decades in the service of adult learners, and continues to advocate for educational innovation to better meet their evolving needs.
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Michelle Sabick, dean of the Daniel F. Ritchie School of Engineering & Computer Science
Dr. Michelle Sabick joined the University of Denver as Dean of the Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science in March 2021. She brings extensive experience from her prior role as dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology at Saint Louis University. Prior to that role, she was chair of the department of Biomedical Engineering at Saint Louis University. Dean Sabick began her academic career at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, where she co-founded the Center for Orthopaedic and Biomechanics Research and served as chair of the department of mechanical and biomedical engineering for three years.
Dean Sabick’s research areas are orthopedic biomechanics and sports medicine. Her primary focus is on how highly ballistic human movements affect the joints of the upper extremity. She is also the past-president of the American Society of Biomechanics
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Bruce Smith, dean of the Sturm College of Law
Bruce Smith is the 20th dean of the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, having served in that role since July 2016. Before entering the legal academy, he practiced in the areas of intellectual property and sports law, representing the NFL, NBA and NHL, among other clients. Dean Smith is also a renowned scholar of the history of Anglo-American criminal procedure, having published a book and numerous articles on the subject. He serves on several educational, civic and corporate boards.
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Rachel A. Walsh, interim dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Rachel A. Walsh is Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Associate Professor of Italian at the University of Denver. Her research interests and teaching expertise include 18th- and 19th-century Italian literature, Italian theater, and canon formation and literary histories.
Dr. Walsh earned her doctorate in Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of Chicago and joined the University of Denver in 2007 as Assistant Professor of Italian. She is widely published, and actively serves the profession at the national level. Dr. Walsh considers advising and mentoring integral aspects of her work that advance student success and faculty development.
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Torrey Wilson, dean of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology
Serving as the Dean of the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) since August 2022, Dr. Torrey Wilson joined the DU family with impressive experience in leadership and academic mentoring. With a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University-Chicago, Dr. Wilson's extensive areas of research and teaching expertise include the experiences of under-represented minority populations in group therapy, sexism and sexual harassment in doctoral training programs, and the experiences of black couples in counseling. In his professional career, Wilson served as the Dean of the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and as Chair of the Doctoral Clinical Psychology Program at Adler University.