College of Liberal Arts and Sciences announces new department chairs
Wayne State University has announced the appointment of four new academic department chairs and the reinstatement of another in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Jaime Goodrich, Janine Lanza and Sarah Brownlee will take the helm of the Department of English, the Department of History and the Department of Environmental Sciences and Geology, respectively. In addition, Scott Bowen has been reinstated as the chair of the Department of Psychology. Sean Gavin has been named interim chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Jaime Goodrich, Department of English
Goodrich has served as the director of the Humanities Center since 2022 and was the associate chair of the Department of English from January 2021 to August 2022. She is internationally recognized for her work in early modern English literature, focusing on early modern women writers and religion.
Janine Lanza, Department of History
Lanza has been the director of undergraduate studies since 2021 and previously served as the director of the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Program. Her research focuses on the intersection of labor, gender and law in pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary France.
Sarah Brownlee, Department of Environmental Sciences and Geology
Brownlee has served as the director of graduate studies since 2011. Her research combines mineralogy, geochemistry and geophysics to understand rock deformation and seismic properties.
Sean Gavin (interim), Department of Physics and Astronomy
Gavin joined the faculty at Wayne State in 1998 and has served as associate department chair and director of graduate studies from 2018 to 2024. His research focuses on the quark-gluon plasma and his work has been cited more than 4,600 times.
Scott Bowen (reappointed), Department of Psychology
Bowen joined WSU in 1997 and has served as chair of the Department of Psychology from 2019 to 2024. His research focuses on the neurobehavioral effects of abused drugs, particularly inhalants and opiates. Bowen is passionate about teaching and student success, having received multiple awards for excellence in teaching.
“We are thrilled to welcome these outstanding scholars to their new roles,” said Stephanie Hartwell, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Their dedication to academic excellence and leadership will undoubtedly inspire our students and faculty and continue to elevate our reputation for innovative research and teaching.”