Undergraduate Core Curriculum Redesign Provost's Update

(Announcement of Core Curriculum Faculty Leadership Appointments from the Provost on February 12, 2026)

Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to announce two new appointments that are effective this spring as we move into the implementation phase of the Core Curriculum redesign. Joshua Gamson will serve as the inaugural director of the Undergraduate Core Curriculum, and Cathy Gabor is the Initial Year Faculty Fellow.

Josh and Cathy bring exceptional experience, institutional knowledge, and a shared commitment to Jesuit Catholic liberal arts education. Together, they will provide faculty-centered leadership for this next phase of core implementation. Cathy will resume her faculty position in order to take up this new role. 

Josh Gamson, professor of sociology, served as faculty co-chair of the Core Curriculum Redesign Task Force during the previous design phase and has played a key role in shaping the redesigned core. His long-standing engagement with the core includes service as chair of the Core Advisory Committee, co-chair of the College Curriculum Committee, member of the Core Assessment Working Group, and leadership roles in curricular review, assessment, and academic program development. Josh is a collaborative and pragmatic leader with deep knowledge of best practices in undergraduate education. As director, he will lead the implementation of the revised core, chair the Core Redesign Task Force Phase III, and serve as the university-wide ambassador for this work.

Cathy Gabor, outgoing associate dean for arts and humanities and professor of rhetoric and language, has devoted much of her academic career to general education, teaching in the core, and curricular leadership. She has served as faculty co-chair of the Core Advisory Committee, associate dean, and department chair, and also contributed to advising students across the curriculum. As Initial Year Faculty Fellow, Cathy will work closely with the director to support the design, coordination, and pedagogical development of the redesigned core’s Golden Gateway Initial Year Experience. She brings particular strengths in faculty development, change management processes, data-informed decision-making, and building trust across disciplines. 

I am grateful to both Josh and Cathy for their willingness to take on these two new faculty leadership roles and for their commitment and service to the work of the redesign. Please join me in congratulating them, and in supporting their work as we enter into this implementation phase and actualize a redesigned Core Curriculum that forms graduates who think critically, act ethically, and lead with purpose.

Sincerely,

Eileen Chia-Ching Fung
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs