Emily Heffernan Named Dean of Falk School
Chatham University is proud to welcome Dr. Emily Heffernan, Ph.D., as the new dean of the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment.
Dr. Heffernan comes to Chatham from Bellevue College, where she was dean of science. She brings to the Falk School experience in environmental studies, biology, and academic leadership.
Prior to Bellevue, Dr. Heffernan was director of the environmental studies program at New College of Florida, where she was also a professor of biology and environmental studies. Before that, she was dean of studies & associate provost.
She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida. Her research experience includes traveling on a Fulbright Fellowship to Malaysia, where she studied the symbiotic relationship between ants and butterfly caterpillars in rainforests. She also held postdoctoral research appointments at the University of Florida and at the EPA in Newport, Oregon. She is originally from upstate New York.
“Chatham University and the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment are fortunate to have identified Dr. Emily Heffernan as the next Dean of the Falk School,” said Matt Redinger, interim provost & vice president of academic affairs at Chatham University.
“Her deep experience in environmental studies, her demonstrated commitment to academic scholarship and community engagement, and her student-focused and approachable personality make her a perfect leader for the school at this point in its continued development,” Dr. Redinger said. “I am excited to collaborate with her to discover new and exciting ways to take advantage of assets at Eden Hall Farm. I am confident that the future of the Falk School is brighter than its past.”
One of the earliest schools of its kind in the U.S., the Falk School is a wellspring for leadership and education to overcome current and future sustainability challenges. The Falk School of Sustainability & Environment is inspired by the work of Chatham alumna Rachel Carson '29, whose knowledge about and passion for preserving the environment drives the mission of the school. The academic programs in the Falk School are dedicated to producing professional sustainability leaders.