Meet the Dean of Attallah College Congratulations to Roxanne Greitz Miller, Ed.D., named Dean of the Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies!

Following a national search, Chapman University announced Roxanne Greitz Miller, Ed.D., Donna Ford Attallah Professor of Teacher Education, as Dean of the Attallah College of Educational Studies effective Friday, February 25, 2022.  

Dean Miller served previously as Interim Dean and also as Vice Provost for Graduate Education at Chapman. Despite her administrative responsibilities and scholarly work, Dean Miller is most passionate about teaching and started her career over 30 years ago as a secondary science teacher. She has taught students at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, for which she was awarded Chapman’s highest recognition for teaching, the Outstanding Teaching Professorship award in 2014. 

As a first-generation college student supported entirely by scholarships and who worked full-time teaching secondary science throughout graduate school, Dean Miller makes every effort to relieve some of the economic and work-school challenges many students face. Because she has experienced the financial hardships of working full-time as a student, she actively seeks out student voices to see how she can better support their needs. Dean Miller’s grant projects at Chapman University have assisted numerous students with tuition scholarships, employment, co-authorship on publications and conference presentations.

Celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the B.A. in Integrated Educational Studies program during Chapman Family Homecoming on Saturday, November 6, 2021. Click photo for more #IESat10

With her secondary teaching credentials in biology, chemistry, middle grades, and gifted education in Florida and California, many Chapman students seek her knowledge and expertise. Her passion for helping her students become successful educators who strive for equity is contagious. Dean Miller’s pride in her students’ success shows how the relationship and mentorship she develops with her students is lifelong.

In addition to her outstanding work at Chapman, Dean Miller has been recognized at the local and regional levels for her volunteer work with community youth. Along with her certified therapy dog, Genie, Dean Miller is an active volunteer at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC).

For a Q&A with the Attallah College Dean, visit The Panther Newspaper.

For more about Dr. Roxanne Greitz Miller, visit her Chapman faculty webpage.

For Chapman’s Attallah College of Educational Studies, read more about its undergraduate programs, master’s and doctoral programs, and faculty research.

For the Friday, February 25, 2022 announcement from Norma Bouchard, Ph.D., Provost:

It is with great pleasure that I write to announce that, following a national search that generated a deep, impressive pool of candidates (and after carefully considering the surveys that were administered), Dr. Roxanne Greitz Miller has been named Dean of the Attallah College of Educational Studies, effective immediately. 

Dr. Miller earned her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (Florida International University) with a specialization in Science Education. She came to California as a Postdoctoral Scholar (University of California at Riverside, October 1999 – May 2005) after 10 years of full-time classroom teaching in highly diverse, Title I urban secondary schools. In that postdoctoral role, she oversaw a $1M research grant from the National Science Foundation to develop curriculum, provide teacher professional development, and advance research in education in California public schools.   

In 2005, Dr. Miller joined Chapman University as an Assistant Professor. She rose through the ranks as Associate and Full Professor. She holds a joint appointment with the Schmid College of Science and Technology (2009) and is the current holder of the Donna Ford Attallah Endowed Professorship (2012). A first-generation college attendee and Pell grant recipient, Dr. Miller is passionate about quality PreK-12 public education and increasing college access for all.  

Dr. Miller is an active researcher with a distinguished record of 30 articles and 10 book chapters on topics focused on K-12 education, science literacy, reading-writing assessment, gifted education, and education policy. She has authored numerous technical reports and analyses for the California Postsecondary Education Commission, the US Department of Education, and the American Institutes for Research, and is a frequent speaker at the gatherings of her professional associations, where she presents papers, posters, and delivers keynote addresses.  

Dr. Miller’s research program while at Chapman has been sustained by her extensive record of grant work which includes over $4M in awards from the California Postsecondary Education Commission, California Math-Science Partnership Program, the US Institute of Education Sciences, the Mathematica Policy Research Institute, the Washington Mutual Foundation, and California Edison Foundation.  

Dr. Miller is an award-winning secondary and higher education instructor. She has delivered courses in biological and physical sciences for K-12 students as well as a large number of university-level offerings (e.g., “Writing for Educators”, “Educational Assessment and Instructional Design”, “Secondary Science Methods and Resources Technology”, “Professional Productivity in Education”, “Current Controversies in Education”, “Designing Effective Classroom Environments”).      

Dr. Miller brings to the position extensive administrative experience. A graduate of the Harvard Higher Education Management Development Program (Class of 2017), she has served as Program Coordinator for the Secondary Teacher Credential Program (August 2008 – June 2011); Assistant Dean for Undergraduate and Integrated Degree Programs (January 2014 – December 2015); and Director of the Institute for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (June 2015 – December 2018). Most recently, Dr. Miller has been holding a concurrent appointment as Interim Dean of the College of Educational Studies (June 2020 – present) and Vice Provost for Graduate Education (January 2019 – present). In her role as Interim Dean, she has worked alongside 33 full-time faculty and 21 associated staff to provide oversight of eight degree programs (which include undergraduate and graduate offerings). 

A generous citizen of her communities, Dr. Miller has an extensive service record that includes both the Vice Presidency and Presidency of Chapman University Senate (2012 – 2014) during the WASC re-accreditation review, a considerable task that comes on top of determining prima facie grievances and representing faculty in strategic planning initiatives with administration and the Board of Trustees. Among the many other service roles held by Dr. Miller are memberships on committees and taskforces (often as Chair) and her extensive and steady involvement with her professional associations as Board Member, Board Advisor, and Chairperson. 

I look forward to working with Dr. Miller, the faculty, students, and supporters of the College of Educational Studies. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the members of the search committee: Dean Michael Ibba (Chair); Donna Attallah, Andrew Horowitz, Quaylan Allen, Trisha Sugita, Meghan Cosier, Whitney McIntyre Miller, Keith Howard, Dominic Trinh, and Brian Powell for their significant contribution to this successful search.   

Special words of appreciation go to Amy Sugin and Jim Sirianni, from Koya Partners/Diversified Search Group, and of course to all of the Attallah staff and faculty who participated in this process as well as to the members of the Chapman community who attended Dean candidates’ presentations and contributed to the surveys.   

Please join me in congratulating Dean Miller and wishing her great success in her new role.