Dear colleagues,
I am writing to inform you that Dana Burr Bradley has stepped down from her position as dean of the Erickson School of Aging Studies effective July 1.
Nancy Kusmaul will assume interim leadership of the Erickson School of Aging. I am grateful to Nancy for her willingness to serve in this important role and provide continuity during the transition.
Dana will be taking a one-year sabbatical before returning to her faculty role in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health. Please join me in thanking her for her many years of service and leadership at UMBC.
As dean, Dana excelled at generating funding, and guiding implementation of ideas that have improved outcomes for many students, faculty, and older people and provided resources so many can thrive.
Dana joined UMBC in 2018 and quickly developed the Erickson School of Aging Studies’ potential, focusing on expanding its portfolio to include three new minors, two graduate certificates, an accelerated master’s program, and new initiatives in technology and senior housing and care.
Under her leadership, enrollment in aging courses grew by 75% over six years. Today, more than half of all UMBC undergraduates complete at least one aging course. She added two endowed scholarships to the Erickson portfolio and founded the Center for Community, Innovation and Aging and the Institute for Financial Longevity, both established through external gifts, extending the educational reach of longevity into domains of urgent public relevance.
Please join me in thanking Dana for her dedication, thoughtful leadership, and commitment to growing and expanding aging studies at UMBC.
Sincerely,
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs