Dean Glenda Gillaspy selected Jeri Barak, a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, as the next associate dean for academic affairs from a pool of four finalists. The associate dean for academic affairs leads the Office of Academic Affairs and advances high quality, innovative, and productive instructional programs.

“I am excited to have Jeri onboard,” says Gillaspy. “She has a track-record of developing new courses at UW-Madison, has mentored dozens of undergraduates in her lab and served in administrative positions. As we continue to expand our teaching effort and impact across the college, Jeri brings great experience to this leadership position.”

Barak came to UW–Madison in 2008 as an assistant professor in the Department of Plant Pathology. She is an executive member of the Food Research Institute and her research focuses on how plant-microbe interactions affect food safety. Her committee service includes the Department of Plant Pathology curriculum committee, Global Health Undergraduate Program committee, CALS curriculum committee, CALS Academic Planning Council, and University Academic Planning Council.

Barak’s teaching includes the high-enrollment course Global Food Security in plant pathology and courses in a First Year Interest Group (FIG) also focused on global food security. She has received awards for teaching and student advising from UW–Madison and received the WALSAA Outstanding Advisor Award from CALS in 2022.

“It is an honor to lead the CALS Office of Academic Affairs,” says Barak. “I look forward to implementing a clear vision to faculty and staff regarding student recruitment and success, which necessitates curricular innovation and continued academic program development.”

Barak earned a bachelor’s degree at San Jose State and a PhD from the University of California-Davis in the Department of Plant Pathology. Before joining the faculty at UW–Madison, she was a research microbiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit (PSMRU) in Albany, California.