Welcoming Dr. Ilianna Kwaske to the SSE Dean's Office

The Tulane School of Science and Engineering welcomed Dr. Ilianna Kwaske as Associate Dean for MS Programs and Professional Education in the SSE Dean's Office, effective May 16.

Dr. Kwaske joined SSE from Tulane's School of Professional Advancement (SoPA), where she had worked since 2017. Over her time at SoPA, she led the school through significant growth in enrollment, revenue, and giving, while championing curricular innovation, faculty development, accreditation excellence, and student success. A strategic and collaborative leader, she is known for building and sustaining high-performing teams, including her leadership of the Learning Design & Development team, and has been a thoughtful contributor to university-wide efforts, serving on the Tulane Senate, the Innovation Institute Faculty Council, the Research Council, and the SACSCOC Reaccreditation Committee. She also brings deep expertise in academic assessment and accreditation, serving as a SACSCOC evaluator and providing critical support to the successful ABET accreditation of SoPA's IT program.

Dr. Kwaske holds a Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from the Illinois Institute of Technology, along with a Master of Science in psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology from the same institution, and a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Announcing her appointment, Dean Hridesh Rajan says, "[Dr. Kwaske]'s background, a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, paired with decades of experience in organizational change, strategic planning, and program development, will be a tremendous asset as SSE continues to grow our undergraduate and graduate offerings, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and deepen our commitment to student and faculty success."

With over twenty years of experience spanning higher education and business consulting, Dr. Kwaske has built a career leading high-performing teams to develop and launch innovative academic programs. As a consultant to private and public sector organizations, she has conducted psychological assessments for executive searches and employee selection, provided leadership coaching and development, and partnered with leaders to navigate organizational change.

For her part, Dr. Kwaske is looking forward to the work ahead. "I am thrilled to join the School of Science & Engineering at such an exciting time for the institution," she said. "This school has built an incredible reputation for excellence, and I'm honored to help expand and strengthen our Master's programs to meet the growing needs of students and industry alike. I look forward to working alongside such a talented community of faculty and staff to shape the next generation of scientists and engineers."

In addition to joining the SSE Dean’s Office, Dr. Kwaske serves as Senior Professor of Practice in the Department of Psychology.