Dennis ArpRoxanne Greitz Miller, Ed.D., a widely respected leader and nationally recognized advocate for excellence in PreK-12 public schools, has been named dean of Chapman University’s Attallah College of Educational Studies.
Chapman Provost Norma Bouchard announced the appointment after a national search “that generated a deep and impressive pool of candidates,” the provost noted. Miller most recently has held concurrent positions as interim dean of Attallah College and vice provost for graduate education.
“In her role as interim dean, Dr. Miller has elevated Attallah College both regionally and nationally,” Bouchard said. “She’s a generous citizen of all her communities, and that generosity is evident in her collaborative approach to leadership. We’re very excited that she will be leading Attallah College into a future full of powerful opportunities to change lives for the better.”
A first-generation college attendee and Pell grant recipient, Miller has long worked to improve the quality of public education systems and to champion college access for all.
“The role of dean is one I never imagined would be open to me when I began my career in education 30 years ago,” Miller said. “When I was a child, my doctor, minister and teachers were the only people my family knew who had college degrees. Just being able to attend college and then become a science teacher was, for me, a dream come true.”
After 10 years of classroom teaching in highly diverse secondary schools, Miller earned her Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and instruction, specializing in science education. She joined Chapman in 2005 as an assistant professor and currently holds the Donna Ford Attallah Endowed Professorship as well as a joint appointment with the Schmid College of Science and Technology.
She is also an active researcher with a distinguished record of 30 articles and 10 book chapters on topics focused on K-12 education, science literacy, reading-writing assessment, gifted education and education policy.
A frequent speaker at gatherings of professional organizations, Miller has authored numerous technical reports and analyses for the California Postsecondary Education Commission, the U.S. Department of Education and the American Institutes for Research.
Miller’s research program while at Chapman is sustained by her extensive record of grant work, including more than $4 million in awards from a variety of funding partners.
She also brings to the role of dean extensive administrative experience. A graduate of the Harvard Higher Education Management Development Program, Miller has previously served at Chapman as program coordinator for the Secondary Teacher Credential Program, as dean for undergraduate and integrated degree programs, and as director of the Institute for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
“I’m very excited to continue the work of Attallah College, where we don’t concentrate only on providing academic services inside a classroom,” Miller said. “We’re very much a comprehensive college of educational studies, which really embodies the idea of addressing the individual and all of their needs in and outside of formal school environments. We will continue to prepare our graduates to work on issues of equity and access as we endeavor to create inclusive communities that support their members’ social, emotional and academic needs.”
