Graduate School Deans

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Linda Dykstra

Linda Dykstra is dean of the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and William Rand Kenan Jr. Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Pharmacology. As dean of the Graduate School, she has responsibility for 85 academic programs and over 7,000 graduate students at Carolina.

Since being named dean in 1996, Dr. Dykstra has developed a comprehensive strategy to increase support for graduate teaching and research assistants, obtained external funding for a bridge program between Carolina and two historically black universities in North Carolina, introduced several new opportunities for graduate student professional training, promoted interdisciplinary programs throughout campus and raised sufficient private funds to add over 200 new interdisciplinary graduate fellowships in the last seven years.

Dean Dykstra is also an active research scientist. Research in her laboratory focuses on the behavioral pharmacology of opioid analgesics, both in relation to their pain-relieving properties as well as their tendency to produce tolerance and dependence. A more recent research interest is the investigation of behavioral phenotypes related to substance abuse in genetically altered mice. Since 1977, she has received continuous support for her research from the National Institutes of Health. She has been recognized with a Research Scientist Award from NIH and also received a MERIT award from NIH for her research contributions.

Dean Dykstra came to Carolina in 1972 from the University of Chicago, where she received a Ph.D. in Psychopharmacology, as well as an M.A. in English Literature. Her B.A. is in Mathematics and Psychology from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. While at Carolina, she has served as Assistant Chair and Director of Research in the Psychology Department, Chair of the University Committee on Teaching Awards, and Interim Vice Chancellor for Research. Her professional activities include being field editor of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and president of several professional organizations, including the Psychopharmacology Division of the American Psychological Association, the College on Problems of Drug Dependence and the Behavioral Pharmacology Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. She has served on numerous advisory boards, including the External Advisory Board for the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Dean Dykstra's Home Page

Sandra Hoeflich

Sandra Hoeflich serves as Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Education, Fellowships and Communication. In this position, she chairs the Fellowship Committee of the Administrative Board of the Graduate School and is responsible for policy development and the selection and award of Graduate School fellowships and grants to graduate students. Since coming to the Graduate School in 1996, Dr. Hoeflich has designed and managed a number of interdisciplinary programs created to recruit exceptional graduate students and provide them with interdisciplinary learning experiences, including the Royster Society of Fellows, Scholars for Tomorrow, and the Weiss Urban Livability Program. She also oversees a number of external grants for graduate fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and other government agencies and private foundations. She initiated a series of workshops and other activities to support graduate students in their quests for external fellowships and grants. Recruitment of a diverse student body has been an ongoing effort, including leading efforts to increase recruitment and retention of American Indian graduate students.

Associate Dean Hoeflich oversees communications efforts including preparing the Graduate School’s annual report, other publications and news releases. She created and oversees publication of The Fountain, our donor magazine highlighting the accomplishments of graduate students. Sandra is responsible for increasing private support for graduate students, including the Graduate School’s annual fund, and stewardship of donors. She helped initiate and works closely with the Graduate Education Advancement Board, our external board whose mission is to advance graduate education at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Hoeflich’s previous experience includes ten years with Ohio’s statewide higher education coordinating board, the Ohio Board of Regents. There she served as director of research programs, medical and health education, and technology/workforce development. She previously worked in a number of social service nonprofit organizations. Sandra Hoeflich earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio State University with a focus on organizational theory and leadership. Her research interests have focused upon interdisciplinary research collaboration, especially inter-organizational partnerships.

Leslie Lerea

Leslie S. Lerea is the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in The Graduate School. Receiving her Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology here at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Lerea assumed her role in The Graduate School August 1, 2006. In this position, she is responsible for orienting graduate students to the university and recognizing their accomplishments. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs provides administrative oversight for orientation for new incoming students and the annual Hooding Ceremony to recognize those students who have completed their doctoral training. She also coordinates a number of additional recognition events throughout the academic year. Dr. Lerea will oversee the selection of the recipient of the Boka Hadzija Award for Service by a graduate student and the Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctorial Mentoring. She also provides oversight for the Graduate Student Teaching Assistants program to ensure program evaluation and effectiveness.

Associate Dean Lerea develops and provides administrative oversight for Graduate School initiatives related to recruitment and retention with special emphasis on students from underrepresented groups. Dr. Lerea will lead outreach initiatives with minority institutions across North Carolina and the Southeast, and will examine issues related to retention of traditional graduate students. She will offer direction on a number of ongoing Graduate School programs related to the recruitment of a diverse student body including the alliance with the Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Program and an NIH funded BRIDGES Program that involves collaboration with North Carolina Central University and North Carolina A & T State University. Dr. Lerea will oversee additional events throughout the year to focus on the needs of students from underrepresented groups.

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs manages the range of academic appeals from students as outlined in the Graduate School Handbook and Record. Dr. Lerea is available to meet with students individually to assist with personal or academic concerns, and to provide advocacy for graduate students within the University.

Dr. Lerea began her career as a scientist studying cell-cell communication and gene regulation in neuronal cells involved in epilepsy at Duke University School of Medicine. She moved away from bench science to pursue science education interests and to work towards increasing diversity in science professions. She has been involved in developing education programs for undergraduate students in their pursuit towards graduate school and postgraduate fellows as they move towards academic career positions. In addition to her role as Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, she is Director of the SPIRE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (spire.unc.edu) at UNC Chapel Hill and Associate Director of the Partnership for Minority Advancement in the Biomolecular Sciences (PMABS). She has worked closely with students, faculty, and administrators at UNC Chapel Hill as well as at private and public minority serving institutions across North Carolina.

Stephanie Schmitt

Stephanie Schmitt is the Associate Dean for Academics in The Graduate School. In this position, she is responsible for administrative oversight for the campus-wide Program Review Process. This includes approximately 6-8 external reviews each year and an equal number of closure meetings for reviews from the previous year. The review process is conducted for all undergraduate and graduate programs at the university in concert with the Provost’s Office and includes the preparation of a departmental self-study, selection of external reviewers from peer institutions, an on-campus review, preparation of a report by the review team, a response from the program to the reviewers’ report, and a closure meeting with senior administration and departmental representatives.

Stephanie also has oversight for several academic initiatives, including the Graduate School's professional development workshops and courses, the Preparing International Teaching Assistants Program, and any major data collection initiatives within the Graduate School. These involve the coordination of data collection for various surveys and research efforts, including the National Research Council Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs. Other academic initiatives falling within the scope of Stephanie's responsibilities include facilitating new degree/program requests for graduate studies at Carolina, overseeing the graduate certificate policies process, and updating academic policies relevant to graduate education.

Prior to coming to the Graduate School Stephanie was an executive with a management consulting firm and served as a nonpartisan policy analyst with the North Carolina General Assembly. An alumna of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Stephanie completed her undergraduate work in International Studies and Political Science and her Masters degree in Public Administration from the School of Government. She has participated in and worked closely with programs at Carolina Leadership Development and currently serves on the Department’s Advisory Board. She served in a leadership role with Carolina’s Graduate and Professional Student Federation, for which she was inducted in to the Order of the Golden Fleece honor society and the Frank Porter Graham Graduate & Professional Student Honor Society. Stephanie has also represented graduate and professional student interests on various university-wide committees, including the Academic Planning Task Force, the Carolina Women’s Center Advisory Board, search committees for senior administrators, and the Chancellor’s Task Force to Review the Judicial System.