Dear Colleagues,
It is with deep appreciation and mixed emotions that I share that after nearly two terms of distinguished leadership, Dean Shabnam Koirala-Azad of the School of Education will step down on June 1, 2026, and return to her faculty role as professor of international and multicultural education.
Prior to serving as dean, Professor Koirala Azad spent over three years as associate dean for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives and nine years as full-time faculty in the School of Education, where she served as chair of the Department of International and Multicultural Education and co-founded the master’s program and doctoral concentration in human rights education — the first in the country.
Koirala Azad was appointed dean following a national search in 2017, marking two historic moments: she became the first female and female of color dean of the USF School of Education, and the first dean of Nepali origin in the United States. Koirala Azad’s leadership led to unparalleled enhancements for the School of Education through intensified fundraising efforts and structural changes. She helped secure the largest gift in the school’s history for student scholarships; transformational gifts for the McGrath Institute for Jesuit Catholic Education, the Center for Humanizing Education and Research, and the Center for Community Counseling and Wellness; several foundation grants; and an increase in contributions and engagement from alumni. Under her leadership, the School of Education also surpassed its 2020 capital campaign goal of $16 million by $1.5 million (totaling $17.5 million), and she has already helped the school raise 42 percent of its current capital campaign FY23-30 goal of $30 million in just two years.
Dean Koirala Azad has also guided steady growth in enrollment for the School of Education, enrolling its largest-ever incoming class this fall, while also increasing retention rates and improving student outcomes, and defying national trends and an overall decline in enrollments at schools of education.
During Koirala Azad’s tenure as dean, the School of Education leveraged strategic partnerships to support enrollment growth and affordability, partnering with community colleges to offer programs and continue USF’s longstanding commitment to serving graduate students throughout the Bay Area. The school developed key partnerships with Kaiser Permanente’s Mental Health Scholars Academy and the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County; established the Center for Humanizing Education and Research and the Center for Community Counseling and Wellness; and expanded college access programs such as Education Talent Search and Upward Bound.
Through all of her impactful work, Koirala Azad has exemplified cura personalis and cura apostolica, always keeping the well-being and advancement of faculty, staff, and students, and care for the mission of the university at the center of her work. This was most apparent as she led the school through the COVID pandemic and maintained a steady hand at a tumultuous time. Koirala Azad’s incredible work has been recognized by the broader community numerous times. She was named as one of the “Most Influential Women in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Business Times in 2018 and has served in leadership roles for the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and many more.
A national search for her successor will begin in November, and I am pleased to announce the search committee members whose work will be supported by Isaacson Miller, an executive search firm:
- Shawn Calhoun, University Library Dean and Search Committee Chair
- Rebecca Hong, Vice Provost of Student Success, Inclusive Excellence, and Curricular Innovation
- Vanessa Gamache, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Case Management
- Lenna Onishi, Assistant to the Dean/Associate Director of Administration, School of Education
- Ramona Valencia, Director of Budget and Operations, School of Education
- Monisha Bajaj, Professor and Chair, International and Multicultural Education
- David Philoxene, Assistant Professor, Teacher Education
- Seenae Chong, Assistant Professor, Organization and Leadership
- Leyla Perez Gualdron, Associate Professor and Chair of Counseling Psychology — MFT and School Counseling
- Xornam Apedoe, Associate Professor, Learning and Instruction
The dean is not only the chief academic officer of the school, but also part of the leadership team, and thus has a vital role in shaping the academic agenda of the university as a whole. Given the importance of this position, I am extremely grateful that the members of the search committee have generously agreed to serve the university in this important capacity.
On a personal note, I am deeply grateful to Shabnam for her steadfast support both personally and professionally since we began working together as associate deans many years ago. She exemplified the best of what it means to be a servant-leader and was an incredible thought partner during a challenging period for our institution. Her leadership will have a lasting legacy at USF, and I know that she will continue to be an inspirational and mission-driven member of the faculty and our community. On behalf of the university and academic affairs, I wish to express our deep gratitude to Shabnam for her years of leadership service and look forward to celebrating her many accomplishments with you all in the coming months.
With gratitude,
Eileen Chia-Ching Fung
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs