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Gabriela C. Weaver, professor of chemistry, has been appointed assistant vice president for academic affairs and research in the UMass Office of the President.

Reporting to Nefertiti Walker, senior vice president for academic affairs, student affairs and equity, Weaver will lead the academic program and research enterprise for the President’s Office and will work with the state Board of Higher Education and the Provost and Research offices of each UMass campus. 

Weaver has worked in the field of higher education for nearly three decades. She has served at UMass Amherst for over 10 years as a professor of chemistry and in varied administrative roles, including as assistant dean for student success in the College of Natural Sciences since 2021.

Weaver’s work focuses on transforming institutional practices to support faculty professional development and enhance student access, persistence and success in higher education. She has led several NSF-funded projects, including E2020, CASPiE, Research Goes to School and her most recent project, Transforming Teaching Evaluation (TEval), which aims to create a holistic approach to teaching evaluation that supports inclusive, research-based teaching methods.

Weaver has also been actively involved in national organizations and professional associations, serving on study committees for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and as a counselor for the Chemical Education Division of the American Chemical Society. The recently concluded work of a study committee on which she served for the National Academies has resulted in “Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education: Supporting Equitable and Effective Teaching,” a 2025 report published by the National Academies Press.