Soyica Colbert was named interim dean of the college at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Colbert is Idol Family Professor of the College of Arts and Sciences and has been serving as vice dean of the faculty.
“Through her important scholarship, her leadership across the university, her mentorship of students and colleagues, and her exceptional dedication to strengthening our Georgetown community, professor Colbert’s contributions have already had an extraordinary impact on our university,” says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. “We are deeply grateful for the expertise and vision that she brings to this new role and look forward to the many ways in which her experience and leadership will strengthen Georgetown College.”
Professor Colbert joined the Georgetown faculty in 2013. Dr. Colbert is the author or editor of several books including o The African American Theatrical Body: Reception, Performance and the Stage (Cambridge University Press, 2011). Her latest book, Radical Vision: A Biography of Lorraine Hansberry (Yale University Press, 2021), will be released in April.
In accepting the appointment, Professor Colbert stated that “we are in the midst of a historic change in our country and the world. The pandemic has exposed the deep inequalities that plague our country and pose a profound challenge for higher education. During my appointment, I hope to continue my life’s work of expanding access, working to redress systemic racism and building stable and equitable structures that support research and teaching for the common good.”
Dr. Colbert is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
