Prof. Susan J. Birren (BIOL) will serve as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, according to a campuswide e-mail from University President Frederick Lawrence.

Birren will succeed current Dean Adam Jaffe, who served in the position for 8 years. According to the announcement, her tenure as dean will begin July 1.

In an interview with the Justice, Provost-elect Steve A.N. Goldstein '78 said that Jaffe will be on sabbatical for the 2011-2012 academic year before returning to the Department of Economics.

Birren said, in an interview with the Justice, that Jaffe did an "excellent job" during his term as dean and that she was excited about her future role.

"It's such an opportunity to really interact with this university at a completely different level with colleagues of different disciplines ... and really do what I can to foster research, education and teaching and all these different components of the University that come together," said Birren.

Birren, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, currently conducts research on the development of the nervous system and the establishment of functional circuits.

She is affiliated with the National Center for Behavioral Genomics; the Volen Center for Complex Systems; the Health: Science, Society and Policy Program; and the Department of Psychology. Additionally, Birren has served as chair of the Committee on Centers and Institutes and been recognized for her work in developmental neurobiology.

According to the announcement, the decision was based on recommendations from a search committee appointed by Provost Marty Krauss. The committee, according to a March 15 Justice article, was chaired by Prof. Robin Feuer Miller (GRALL) and was also comprised of Profs. Peter Conrad (SOC), Sarah Lamb (ANTH), Eve Marder (NPSY), Charles McClendon (FA), Dean of Career Services at the Hiatt Career Center Joseph Du Pont, Assistant Vice President of the Office of Budget and Planning Kris McKeigue, Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Ph.D. candidate Daniel Schwartz and undergraduate student Gabrielle Kaplan '13.

According to the Justice article, the committee sought nominations from the Brandeis faculty for a candidate that was already a member of the University's faculty. This process was different from the search for Provost Marty Krauss' successor, which resulted in the appointment of Goldstein-a professor of pediatrics from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Goldstein said that the committee encountered difficulty narrowing down 30 "strong" candidates during the first round but said that Birren had a "long list of superlatives" that made her stand out from the other candidates, including her international recognition as a scholar and her embrace of the University's mission, in addition to her vision of the University that is "much broader than the sciences."

Birren said that the possibility of her serving as dean resulted from her service on the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, where she was able to work with faculty members of different disciplinary backgrounds. She also served on other committees and eventually became chair of the UCC.

"It made me realize that we live in such a diverse interdisciplinary and disciplinary world. ... I"ve really grown to appreciate the opportunity to work with this very broad range of people who are interested in different but fascinating things."

In the announcement, Miller called Birren a "great addition to [Lawrence's] stellar steam." Lawrence called Birren a "distinguished scholar, an experienced academic leader and a talented educator" in his e-mail. Goldstein said that Birren was "energetic and thoughtful" and that she would serve the University "beautifully" during her upcoming term.

"She brings everything to the table that you would want in the dean of [the College of] Arts and Sciences," said Goldstein. "I could not be more enthusiastic."

Editor's note: This is an updated version of a breaking news article that was posted earlier.