Daytona Beach Campus College of Arts & Sciences Appoints New Dean

Gaines will succeed Dr. William Grams, who has served as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences since 2007, and has announced plans to retire this summer. Grams, who has been with Embry-Riddle since 1980 in faculty and academic administrative positions, will remain to assist the new dean through the upcoming fall semester.

“From a large field of highly qualified applicants, the search committee was extremely impressed with Dr. Gaines’ background as a scholar-administrator and her proven record of leadership as the chair of a large department with diverse research interests,” said Dr. Maj Mirmirani, dean of the College of Engineering and chair of the search committee. “We found Dr. Gaines to be a compassionate leader with an inclusive style of management. Her clarity of vision and grasp of the challenges and opportunities she will be facing made her the right person to advance the success and continued expansion of the College of Arts & Sciences.”

Gaines will lead a vibrant academic community of more than 550 degree-seeking students and 163 full-time faculty teaching in five departments—Humanities & Communication, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Human Factors & Systems, and Security Studies & International Affairs. Collectively, these departments offer nine undergraduate degree programs, four master’s degree programs, and two Ph.D. programs in Engineering Physics and Human Factors. The College also has primary responsibility for the university’s general education curriculum and is home to three campus ROTC programs, over 20 research laboratories, and an astronomical observatory that houses the largest university-based telescope in Florida.

“I’m honored to be given the opportunity to lead the College of Arts & Sciences and cannot wait to officially join the Embry-Riddle family,” said Gaines. “Two things really attracted me to the position—the fact that Embry-Riddle is internationally recognized as a leader in the advancement of STEM disciplines, and the faculty’s unwavering commitment to their students’ academic achievement, knowledge discovery and personal development so they realize their fullest potential.”

Gaines earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Health from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health. Her research has focused on a wide range of topics including the prevention of harmful exposure to toxic substances, physiology, and the use of satellite imagery and LiDAR technologies. 

Before joining EIU, Gaines worked with the Department of Energy at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina overseeing programs focused on exposure to environmental radioactivity. She has been an advocate for sustainable and clean energy research and education and is certified as a Wildlife Biologist by the Wildlife Society. Gaines has also worked on wildlife hazards associated with regional and international airports. 

MEDIA CONTACT: James Roddey, Director of Communications, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Office: (386) 226-6198; james.roddey@erau.edu.