UNIVERSITY OF GUAM ANNOUNCES NEW DEAN OF SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

After a competitive national search, Dr. Frankie Santos Laanan has been named the new Dean of the School of Education at the University of Guam.  Dr. Laanan is a tenured full professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University (ISU), where he has worked since 2003.  Prior to ISU, he previously held faculty positions at the University of North Texas and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
 
Dr. Laanan is originally from Tumon, Guam and attended St. Anthony Catholic School and John F. Kennedy High School before finishing high school in the US mainland.  He received his B.A. in Political Science (1993), M.A. in Higher Education (1994), and Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change (1998) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). 

“Dr. Laanan’s exceptional background as an administrator and educator made him an ideal candidate and an excellent choice,” said Dr. Robert A Underwood, UOG President.  “We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Laanan to UOG and back to Guam.”

Dr. Laanan brings a rich set of experiences and skills to the School of Education.  During his career, he has received and managed a grant portfolio of over $7 million, addressing issues such as preparing students and teachers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, teacher recruitment, career and technical education, and student engagement and success.  Dr. Laanan’s prolific body of scholarly work includes over 45 peer-reviewed journal articles, proceedings, and book and monograph chapters.  Additionally, he has edited one book and 3 monographs and has over 150 juried national and international conference presentations.

Dr. Laanan is an active member in several professional and scholarly organizations and has held leadership positions including president of the Association for Career and Technical Education Research and vice president for research and publications for the Council for the Study of Community Colleges.  He is nationally known for his work on studying educational pathways for women and underrepresented students in STEM fields. 

In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Laanan understands and works in extension and outreach activities as a member of the faculty of a Iowa State, a land grant university, and is active in educational policy reviews at all levels.  He also serves as the Interim Director of  the Center for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education at Iowa State, focusing on research, professional development, leadership, and advocacy for STEM education. 

View Dr. Laanan’s full vitae.

 

“I am very honored to have been selected as the new Dean of the School of Education (SOE) at the University of Guam,” said Dr. Laanan.  “I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and students to address the critical issues facing Guam’s K-12 schools including pre-service and in-service teacher education, professional development, and student achievement and success. “

Dr. Laanan plans to build a strong relationship with Guam Department of Education (DOE) and to focus on the critical importance of research.  “Working closely and synergistically with DOE will ensure the undergraduate and graduate programs in SOE are meeting the needs of today’s and future educational leaders and professionals.  In addition, cultivating a research culture will strategically position SOE to make a significant impact on how we use data to create learning environments that facilitate student achievement and success as well as teacher recruitment and retention.”

Dr. Laanan will begin his appointment as Dean of the School of Education on August 1, 2012.  Please join the University in welcoming Dr. Laanan back to his home island.