Sara Meadows
NEWS EDITOR
Melanie Bloom was named interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her position will be effective June 1.
Bloom will be the first woman to lead the college as dean, replacing David Booker, who has served as dean since 2008.
“Dr. Bloom has been a vital asset to the College of Arts and Sciences as both a faculty member and as an associate dean,” Chancellor Joanne Li, said. “Her focus on enhancing the student experience and wealth of institutional knowledge means our students, faculty, and staff will be in the most capable of hands during the transition process to a new dean.”
Bloom first joined UNO in 2005 as an assistant professor of Spanish, and later served as chairperson of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature. In 2020, Bloom was also named the Associate Dean for Humanities and Undergraduate Education in the College of Arts and Sciences.
“I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences,” Bloom said. “UNO’s College of Arts and Sciences is uniquely poised as we impact the lives of so many UNO students through our diverse academic programs. My goal is to ensure that faculty, staff, and students feel heard and supported as we look forward to the future of the college.”
Through the dean’s office leadership team, Bloom has supported the newly launched Exploratory Studies program. She also worked to help balance course schedules and faculty workloads.
“Dr. Bloom has been a respected member of the faculty here at UNO since 2005 and known as a collaborative and creative colleague,” said Sacha Kopp, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “She has been a tremendous part of Dean Booker’s team, and we are fortunate to have her leadership at this key juncture while a national search for permanent dean commences.”
