The World Is the Classroom: A Conversation with Virginia Sapiro
Part two of a two-part introduction to the new dean of Arts and Sciences
Click the video player above to watch a conversation with Virginia (Gina) Sapiro, the new dean of Arts and Sciences.
On July 1, Virginia Sapiro, a political scientist and women’s studies scholar with strong opinions about the necessity of a liberal arts education, became dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. University leaders enthusiastically welcomed Sapiro, the first female dean in the 134-year history of Arts and Sciences, a college she describes as a “vibrant learning community” and “the heart of a great university.”
A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Sapiro was most recently vice provost for teaching and learning at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There she chaired both the department of political science and the women’s studies program and served as interim provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.
This summer, Sapiro spoke with BU Today about her vision of liberal arts education and a university’s responsibility to its students and faculty. In this segment, she discusses the challenges Boston University faces and the opportunities that lie ahead. “One of the things I find exciting about BU is a rare sense of real optimism, and real excitement, about where it’s going,” she says.
This is the second of a two-part video conversation with Sapiro. Click here to watch part one, “Why We Need the Liberal Arts.”
Alan Wong can be reached at alanwong@bu.edu. Jessica Ullian can be reached at jullian@bu.edu.