Welcome to Dr. Sophia Beal, Associate Dean for Graduate Fellowships and Awards
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Sophia Beal has joined the Graduate School as Associate Dean for Graduate Fellowships and Awards. In this critical leadership role, Dr. Beal will provide strategic direction for the University’s efforts to develop, administer, and assess a comprehensive and integrated program of fellowships and awards for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. She will also advise colleges and campuses across the University system on their own graduate fellowship efforts and provide administrative oversight of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards (OGFA). This work is central to the Graduate School’s mission and will have a lasting impact on the broader graduate education community—enhancing the support we offer scholars and strengthening the University’s capacity to attract and retain exceptional talent.
In her new role, Dr. Beal is excited to collaborate with colleagues across the University to support the success of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. She emphasizes clear communication, fairness, and collaboration as essential values in fellowship leadership and looks forward to ensuring that all scholars—across disciplines and backgrounds—are empowered throughout the fellowship process.
Dr. Beal is a Professor of Portuguese and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. She brings a wealth of experience and interdisciplinary engagement through her affiliations with the College of Liberal Arts' Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, the Environmental Humanities Initiative, and the Moving Image, Media & Sound graduate minor.
A recipient of the University of Minnesota Award for Excellence in Academic Unit Service, Dr. Beal has provided extensive mentorship to graduate students in fellowship competitions both within and beyond the University. Her scholarly achievements include authoring two books—each published in English and Portuguese—co-editing two volumes, and serving as President of the American Portuguese Studies Association. She also holds editorial roles with two academic journals. Dr. Beal earned her Ph.D. from Brown University and her BA from Columbia University.
We are excited for the perspective and passion Dr. Beal brings to this work, and we look forward to the many ways she will help strengthen support for graduate education at the University.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Dr. Beal to the Graduate School!