Announcement from SEBS Executive Dean Laura Lawson.
Dear SEBS & NJAES community,
I am delighted to announce that Lia Papathomas is joining the SEBS/NJAES Executive Dean’s office on November 18, 2024, to serve as Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives. This is a new position to support government and stakeholder relations that are central to our land grant mission and to help us move forward on exciting new initiatives.
Lia will serve as the primary point of operational contact for external constituencies and will build connections both within SEBS and across Rutgers to identify new collaborative opportunities and support existing programs. She will be the main contact for the Board of Managers, which advises on NJAES operations and future direction. She will work closely with the Rutgers Office of Government Relations; facilitate SEBS/NJAES representation at APLU, Big10, and other national and international networks; and assure communication and follow-through pertaining to requests, feedback, and advisory representation from state and federal agricultural advisory groups and others. In this role, Lia will provide essential strategic council to me and will serve as an essential member of the leadership team.
Many of you may know Lia from her work as Director of Operations for the New Agriculture for a New Generation, our school’s long-standing partnership to support agriculture and food systems opportunities in Greece, grant-funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Lia will continue to oversee this program, coordinating with our Greek partners to support Rutgers faculty and staff in educational programs and knowledge transfer.
Lia came to Rutgers in 2018. Prior to that, she served as Operations Coordinator and Program Advisor for the Joseph S. Murphy Institute, a collaboration of Cornell and CUNY Labor Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Development from Columbia University, a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers New Brunswick.
Please join me in a hearty welcome and congratulations!
