Jason Lane, dean of the School of Education and professor of Educational Policy & Leadership at the University at Albany, will become dean of Miami University’s College of Education, Health and Society (EHS) on June 1.

He will succeed Michael Dantley, who has been the EHS dean since June 2015. Dantley is retiring at the end of December. An interim dean will be appointed soon and will serve from Jan. 1 through May 31. (Update: Denise Taliaferro Baszile named interim dean.)

During his time as dean at the University of Albany, which is part of the State University of New York (SUNY), Lane implemented initiatives that turned around the School’s declining enrollments, expanded revenues from fundraising and outside endeavors and fostered a more inclusive academic environment.

“Jason is a proven and highly respected leader in higher education,” said Jason Osborne, Miami’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I am fully confident that he is a great choice to lead our College of Education, Health and Society, a world-class institution committed to impacting our local, national and global communities through a holistic educational experience.”

Lane’s major initiatives included new partnerships with local school districts to diversify the teacher education pipeline; creation of the Academy for the Advancement of Teaching, Learning, and Schools to expand the School’s professional development offerings; expansion of online learning; and development of the Touhey Family Fellows, a donor-funded program designed to diversify the teacher preparation effort.

Lane is frequently cited in the media on critical issues related to higher education, has been a speaker and consultant in more than 30 countries and has published more than 75 papers and 10 books focused on the changing role of colleges and universities.

He has been named a Fulbright New Century Scholar and his research has garnered numerous awards, including the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Education Research from the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Lane has also led several projects in New York and nationally focused on strengthening and diversifying student success and higher education leadership. He co-led TeachNY, a statewide initiative to rethink educator preparation. He also serves as a subject matter expert on the American Council of Education’s National Task Force on Transfer of Credit, directs leadership academies for the Association of Governing Boards and the National Association of System Heads, and is co-founder of Taking Student Success to Scale (TS3), a network of more than 20 systems of higher education advancing college student completion.

Lane previously served as vice provost and senior associate vice chancellor for academic planning and strategic leadership for SUNY. In this role, he led several multi-campus collaborative initiatives, including the development of its Seamless Transfer, OPEN SUNY (online learning) and START-UP NY programs.

“Working in public education and expanding access to higher education locally and globally is a personal passion and I can’t be more excited to join Miami University, one of the nation’s leading public research universities that has such a strong commitment to serving the underserved, working collaboratively with communities across Ohio, and expanding its international engagements,” Lane said.

“The strong commitment to student success at both the undergraduate and graduate levels was evident throughout my virtual visits, and I was incredibly impressed by the thoughtfulness, dedication, and passion of the students I met.”

Lane has served as principal investigator on more than $20 million in grants from funders including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on the boards of the Comparative and International Education Society, STINT (Swedish Foundation for International Higher Education), SUNY Korea, Tech Valley High School Foundation, among others.

Lane previously served on the faculty of the University of North Dakota. He received his doctoral degree in higher education in 2003 from Pennsylvania State University.

“Collectively, EHS has a remarkable opportunity to prepare the next generation of societal leaders who can build more just and equitable communities,” he said. “I look forward to working with President Crawford, Provost Osborne and the EHS faculty, staff, and students to strengthen the College’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to expand its education and research engagements locally, nationally and globally.”