July 21, 2020
Following a successful national search, Brandy A. Randall, Ph.D., has been appointed to serve as dean of the Graduate School at Oakland University. Her position with OU will become effective on August 1, 2020.
“I am honored to have been selected for this role, and look forward to working collaboratively with the campus and the community to advance graduate education at Oakland,” Randall said.
Dr. Randall has served as the associate dean of the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies at North Dakota State University since 2013 and has served as a faculty member in the university's Department of Human Development and Family Science since 2002.
“Dr. Randall impressed me with her deep experience in graduate education, her strong communication skills, creative ideas to enhance the student experience and her collaborative approach to working on issues and building opportunities,” said C. Michelle Piskulich, interim executive vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. “I am confident that she is the leader who is best positioned to help us to grow, enhance and improve graduate education at Oakland University."
In her current position, Dr. Randall has launched an annual Three Minute Thesis Competition and Graduate Student Showcase, developed the Graduate Professional Skills Academy to provide professional development for graduate students, and remained active with national and regional organizations dedicated to supporting graduate education. She has also served as the secretary for the Western Association of Graduate Schools, as a Council of Graduate Schools advocacy ambassador for North Dakota, and as an invited presenter for the Council of Graduate Schools’ pre-meeting workshops and annual meeting.
In her faculty role at NDSU, Dr. Randall has served as the major advisor for master’s and doctoral students in the HDFS M.S. program, the Developmental Science Ph.D., and the Youth Development M.S. program. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level in the areas of research methods, child development, and adolescent development. Her community-engaged research focuses on prosocial and risky behaviors during adolescence, and has been supported by external funding in excess of $2.5 million.
Other leadership roles Dr. Randall has held include associate chair for the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance Youth Development Faculty, inaugural editor for the Society for Research on Adolescence Online News, co-founder of the annual Moral Development Preconference, associate editor for the Journal of Early Adolescence, and board member for the North Dakota Women’s Network.
She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a master of arts in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a bachelor of arts in psychology from Creighton University.
“I am confident (Dr. Randall) will serve the University community with a tremendous commitment to helping advance the academic and professional goals of all of our students, faculty and staff,” Piskulich said.