Katherine Reeves Named Dean of the Graduate School

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Katherine Reeves

The Office of the Provost has announced that Katherine Reeves has been named senior vice provost for graduate education and dean of the UMass Amherst Graduate School. Reeves will assume her office starting August 15, 2026.

Reeves is currently associate dean of graduate and professional studies and professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences. A member of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology since 2008, she has served as a Faculty Ambassador in Teaching for Inclusiveness, Diversity, and Equity and contributed to the development of the For the Common Good strategic plan as a member of the EDUCATE working group where she advocated for graduate students. Her research in cancer epidemiology, women’s health, and aging addresses the impact of environmental chemicals on human health and is regularly supported by grants from the National Institute of Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

In her new role, Reeves will serve as the senior academic official responsible for the advancement and administration of graduate education at UMass Amherst. She will work to ensure an exceptional graduate student experience and enhance graduate student recruitment, support, and professional development opportunities as the campus drives the continuous improvement of more than 90 graduate programs.

In a message to the SPHHS community, Dean Anna Maria Siega-Riz wrote that Reeves "...has the right mix of organizational skills, expertise, diplomacy, and directiveness that will benefit the Graduate School and all of its community.... She has been an amazing confidant to me on graduate education matters across the university. A heartfelt thanks to Katherine and we wish her much luck and success in her new role."

Reeves succeeds Elizabeth Jakob, professor of biology, who has served as interim senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School since the spring.