After serving as Interim Dean of Baruch College’s Weissman School of Arts and Sciences since July 2020, Jessica Lang has been appointed as the dean of the school.

“Jessica is an incredible collaborator and a compassionate leader who listens to and cares about the students, faculty and staff in Weissman and across the College community,” Shelly Eversley, interim chair of the Department of Black and Latino Studies, said.

Lang, who has served over 10 years at Baruch, has a long professional background. She started her journey at Baruch in 2004, as an assistant professor of English. She then became the chair for the English department from 2018 to 2020.

“With Dean Lang’s vision and leadership, I am confident that Weissman will build on this strong foundation to push boundaries at the forefront of liberal arts education,” Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Linda Essig said.

She graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and holds a master’s degree from Washington University, as well as a doctorate degree from Brandeis University.

According to the Provost’s website, Lang has played an instrumental role for the Weissman diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. The initiative is focused on reviewing and analyzing practices around diversity, equity and inclusion.

As stated by the provost’s website, Lang also created the Weissman Dean’s Advisory Council, which is home to the thousands of Baruch alumni, faculty and community leaders.

Lang has also supported flexible course delivery, on-track graduation and faculty research. She also has managed services and concerns that have risen due to the distance learning.

She is also the founding William Newman director for the Sandra Kahn Wasserman Jewish Studies Center at Baruch, per Weissman’s website. Following her appointment as dean, she will continue to co-direct for the center.

Outside of academia, Lang is the author of numerous of publications, which include journals, books, essays, books and film reviews, among others.

Additionally, throughout her years, she has received many honors, awards and recognition. She was granted the Presidential Excellence Award in Distinguished Teaching in 2017 and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies in June 2010, as stated by her curriculum vitae.

Apart from her success found in the Weissman School, Lang has built a relationship with the Zicklin School of Business. She plays a key role as a partner for the Financial Engineering Hub at Baruch as the program aims to grow its offering for degrees and certificates.

“That our new dean comes from our community and is intimately familiar with our culture, our goals, and our aspirations is a strength that will help Baruch move forward during these still- challenging times,” Essig said. “I am looking forward to deepening and expanding my collaborations with Dean Lang.”