Laura Ann Rosenbury will be the next dean of UF’s Levin College of Law starting July 1, UF announced Monday.
Rosenbury was selected from a pool of four finalists — which was narrowed down from a field of 10 candidates from across the United States — after interviews with UF president Kent Fuchs, provost Joe Glover and law school faculty members. The finalists also attended forums with current UF law students.
“Laura Rosenbury’s outstanding scholarship and breadth of experience in administration made her the ideal candidate to lead the Levin College of Law,” Glover said in a prepared statement. “We have great confidence in the college’s future under her leadership.”
Rosenbury graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1997 and taught at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis since 2002 and was named Professor of the Year in 2006. Her teaching and research revolve around family law and gender, according to her bio on Washington University’s website.
She also served as the school’s associate dean for research and faculty development from 2010-2012.
The school named Rosenbury a John S. Lehmann research professor, which gives scholars the opportunity to focus on research projects, for the 2013-2014 academic year.
She also taught as a visiting professor at six other schools, including Stanford, UCLA and her alma mater Harvard.
Rosenbury is the first permanent female dean in the college’s 106-year history.
She will replace George Dawson, who has served as interim dean after the initial search to find a replacement for then-dean Robert Jerry failed.
Jerry resigned on June 30, and Dawson took hold as the interim dean on July 15.
