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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Susana Rivera-Mills, professor of foreign languages and literatures, has been appointed to the position of associate dean in Oregon State University's College of Liberal Arts.

Rivera-Mills has been interim director for student engagement and diversity in the college and those duties will be carried over to her new position. As associate dean, she will focus on student engagement and success, diversity advancement and helping the college increase its global presence. She will also work on faculty mentoring and support.

"Susana has already proven to be an amazing asset to the college as a researcher, teacher and colleague," said Larry Rodgers, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "She will be a terrific student advocate and ambassador for OSU, and will play key roles in advancing diversity and helping globalize our campus."

In the short term, Rivera-Mills will also continue to implement OSU's new Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement until it is successfully established and has a permanent director.

"This is an exciting time in our college with many opportunities for innovation as we continue to reorganize and consider what it means to prepare students for the 21st century in a global context," Rivera-Mills said. "The initiatives that I will be overseeing allow me to engage with many campus constituencies to create meaningful learning opportunities for students, while at the same time supporting faculty efforts in these endeavors."

The college's other associate dean, Michael Oriard, remains on phased retirement. His position will likely be filled sometime in spring 2012.