Matthew Zierler, associate dean of the Honors College at Michigan State University, will be recommended as interim dean of the college, succeeding Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore. Jackson-Elmoore accepted the role of provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at California Polytechnic State University.
Zierler will begin serving as interim dean-designee on June 13 and will continue in that role until his appointment goes before the MSU Board of Trustees for consideration at its June 26 meeting.
“I look forward to working with the dedicated staff and faculty of the Honors College to support all of our hardworking students during this transition,” said Zierler. “The Honors College has been an important part of my MSU career, and I plan to ensure it continues to provide an important space for our students to achieve their goals.”
In addition to serving as associate dean of the Honors College, Zierler also is an associate professor of international relations in James Madison College and served as an Honors College faculty fellow with the National/International Fellowships and Scholarships Office from August 2013 to December 2016. Prior to that appointment, he served for 10 years as a member of the MSU selection committees for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program — formerly Carnegie Junior Fellows Program — as well as for the Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes and Truman Scholarships.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in international affairs from George Washington University and his master’s degree and doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Zierler’s research and teaching interests are in foreign policy, international security, international relations theory, international law and international cooperation. He spent the spring 2014 semester and March 2015 and 2016 as a visiting professor at ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan. He also regularly leads MSU’s International Relations in Brussels education abroad program.