Sheetal Sood has been named Director of the Graduate Student Experience

After a competitive application process, Sheetal Sood has been selected as the inaugural Director of the Graduate Student Experience. In this new role, Dr. Sood will co-chair the Graduate Council and be the voice for all graduate students and the graduate program directors. Dr. Sood created our online Master’s in Special Education program and has quickly built it into one of our largest graduate programs at the University. 

In this role, Dr. Sood will also oversee important Graduate Studies events, which include welcome receptions, the Graduate Research and Creativity Symposium, the Graduate Regents Awards Call and Notification, and the Graduate Research Symposium Call and Review. Dr. Sood will also oversee travel grants for graduate students and explore new opportunities, such as mini-grants for special initiatives. Dr. Sood will also enrich the graduate student experience and foster diversity, equity, and inclusion among graduate students, programs, and faculty.

Dr. Sood’s research interests include focusing on investigating methods to improve mathematics instruction for pre-K through elementary school students who are at risk of or are identified with a disability. In addition, she is also interested in early intervention, instructional design, textbook analysis, and curriculum-based assessment. Her most recent research focuses on the impact of Number Sense instruction on mathematics competence of kindergarten students.

Provost Black said, “I am thrilled that Dr. Sood has accepted this new role. Her experience in building and maintaining a successful graduate program will be instrumental in her work supporting graduate students, programs, and faculty across the entire university. I am looking forward to working with her!”