Dr. Evelyn Cooper will serve as Assistant Dean and Chief of Operations of the Graduate School, effective March 14. Dr. Cooper is currently Assistant Dean for Academic Programs and director of retention, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where she has demonstrated expertise in student support services, grant writing, and curriculum and program development; and launched several initiatives, including the Summer Opportunities in Agricultural Research and the Environment (SOARE at UMD). Evelyn earned her Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Geographical Science at UMD and her B.S. degree in Geographical and Earth Science at North Carolina Central University.