After 14 years as a faculty member at the University of Iowa, associate provost and dean of the Graduate College, Amanda Thein, has completed her tenure and will embark on a new journey at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Thein became the first woman to serve as dean of the Graduate College in 2021. Having previously served as associate dean in the College of Education, she brought a unique perspective to the role.

For Thein, providing student-centered education that supports the holistic well-being of graduate students has served as a guiding principle throughout her career in academia.  Her goal extends beyond ensuring scholarly success and includes providing professional development resources, outlets for building community, and guaranteeing career support.

“Graduate students today might be parents. They might be caregivers for their own parents,” Thein cites. “They could be rural students, First Gen students, or veterans. We must understand the varied needs of graduate students as they work toward degree completion.”

Thein’s perspective as dean was influenced by her own experience as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. Her advisor there took her to conferences, introduced her to future colleagues in the field, and taught her how to network and write for publication.

Thein made sure that University of Iowa graduate students felt as supported as she did as a student. One pillar of this objective focused on working toward ensuring equal opportunities across a variety of programs.

"My own commitment as dean was to try to level the playing field for students—for example, through policy equity and services that we offer through the Grad Success Center." 

Her strong support for the P2P peer mentoring program, now serving nearly 400 students, exemplifies how her advocacy and leadership created space for this kind of work to thrive.

“Amanda’s student-centered approach was clear in the way she championed initiatives that foster community and belonging among graduate students,” notes Jennifer Teitle, assistant dean for graduate development and postdoctoral affairs. “She consistently recognized the value of programs that support students beyond the classroom and helped them grow.”

During her tenure, Thein also made a commitment to enhancing the system used to complete graduate degree requirement evaluation at Iowa. 

“By securing one-time funds to accelerate the creation of graduate program degree audits, she has brought transparency and equity to graduate students’ degree completion pursuits,” says Heidi Arbisi-Kelm, assistant dean for academic affairs. “Her efforts leave campus and graduate students in a better place and create a legacy of systemic process improvement which will persist for decades to come.”

Learning from all roles

Before beginning her doctoral program, Thein worked as a high school English teacher in her home state of Colorado. 

“As a teacher, I wanted to move away from lecturing students. Instead, I posed questions that invited multiple answers and perspectives,” Thein explains. 

The vivacity and depth of inquiry shown by her students led her to pursue a doctoral program in education, and she aspired to work at an R1 institution. Thein’s interest in serving master’s and doctoral students is seeded in part from wanting to stay in contact with the rigor and newness of the research pursued by this populace.

“What really excited me about working with graduate students is that they are on the cutting edge of the field, and they would keep me on the cutting edge, too, because I would learn from them,” Thein says.

At the University of Iowa, Thein entered as an associate professor of Language Literacy, and Culture in the College of Education in 2011 before serving as its associate dean for faculty and academic affairs starting in 2016. The varied hats she wore within the college equipped her to accept her final role at Iowa.

“When I became dean of the Graduate College, I learned really quickly that graduate education looks different in various programs across campus,” Thein recalls. “This role gave me insights about being a campus citizen and thinking in terms of university first in decision making.”

For Associate Dean Ana M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Thein’s support, mentorship, and trust have been instrumental in her professional growth and will have a lasting impact at the Graduate College.

"Amanda is a visionary leader whose dedication to academic excellence and student success is truly inspiring. Her commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration has shaped a dynamic environment where graduate students and faculty alike thrive. It has been a true honor to work with her." — Associate Dean Ana M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez

Next steps

Thein says her departure from the University of Iowa is bittersweet. However, she looks forward to returning to her alma mater, the University of Colorado Boulder, as the dean of the School of Education.

“There aren't very many positions that would have pulled me away from the University of Iowa,” Thein notes. “But I am still drawn back to my own disciplinary background in education. We are in challenging times in K-12 education. I feel moved to pursue commitments that I've had for the most of my career, supporting education that fosters success for all students.”

Thein’s early connections to Colorado and the University of Colorado Boulder give her a special relationship to the university and the community, one which she feels moved to give back through her leadership.

“The University of Colorado put me on my path,” she cites. “I'm eager to be able to give back to that campus, to that community, and to focus on K-12 issues that impact the state that I call home.”