August 25, 2025 | Bri Diaz

CLAS Appoints Associate Deans Focused on Student and Faculty Success

Professors Diane Quinn and Manuela Wagner begin new roles in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences this fall. In a recent joint conversation, they reflected on their paths to leadership and shared their priorities for the year ahead.

Manuela Wagner and Diane Quinn stand side-by-side in the entrance of the Austin Building with a Liberal Arts and Sciences banner in the background.

Manuela Wagner, professor of literatures, cultures, and languages and CLAS associate dean for humanities and faculty inclusion and success (left); and Diane Quinn, professor of psychological sciences and CLAS associate dean for life and behavioral sciences and undergraduate affairs. (Bri Diaz/UConn Photo)

Two new associate deans joined the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on Aug. 23, bringing with them a shared commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, inclusive leadership, and student success.

Diane Quinn, professor of psychological sciences, assumed the role of associate dean for life and behavioral sciences and undergraduate affairs. Manuela Wagner, professor of language education in the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, began as associate dean for humanities and faculty inclusion and success.

They start their roles during a time of change in higher education, marked by financial pressures, evolving priorities, and increasing demands on faculty and staff. Still, both bring a practical optimism shaped by years of experience and a deep belief in the value of a liberal arts and sciences education.

“Even in difficult times, I love solving problems,” Quinn says. “This role allows me to bring what I’ve learned as a professor and department head to the Dean’s Office to help faculty and students navigate what’s ahead.”

“In my previous work, I met with so many department heads and students, and it was truly inspiring to see the amazing work of colleagues and students,” Wagner says. “As Diane noted, having those diverse perspectives is essential when making big decisions.”

Leadership Across Disciplines

As associate deans, Quinn and Wagner oversee a broad set of academic units.

Quinn’s portfolio includes the College’s life and behavioral science departments: ecology and evolutionary biology; human development and family sciences; linguistics; molecular and cell biology; physiology and neurobiology; psychological sciences; and speech, language, and hearing sciences. She also works with interdisciplinary programs in biological and cognitive sciences, as well as the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and supports undergraduate academic affairs.

Wagner oversees the College’s humanities departments, including English; history; journalism; literatures, cultures, and languages; philosophy; and social and critical inquiry. Her portfolio also includes the Africana Studies Institute, El Instituto, and Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life, as well as initiatives related to faculty inclusion, mentoring, and success.

Both scholars emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary education in preparing students for a world increasingly shaped by technology and global complexity.

“Students today are asking, ‘What’s real?’” Quinn says, referencing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and disinformation. “In the sciences, we teach students how to ask questions, test hypotheses, and recognize good data. That’s absolutely critical now.”

“There are similar aspects of humanities education, and students do indeed need both,” Wagner adds. “In the humanities, we help students develop skills like criticality, intercultural dialogue, and communication. These are essential for understanding other perspectives and analyzing information.”

Inclusion and Success

Quinn and Wagner bring decades of research and teaching experience at UConn, along with extensive leadership and committee service.

Quinn joined UConn in 1999 after earning her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on the experiences of stigmatized groups, including issues related to mental illness, gender stereotypes, and weight stigma. Since 2022, she has served as head of the Department of Psychological Sciences.

Wagner joined UConn in 2004 and holds a Ph.D. in English studies from Graz University in Austria. Her academic background is in applied linguistics and language education, with a focus on intercultural dialogue and transformative education. She has led interdisciplinary research and curriculum projects at UConn and has chaired the General Education Oversight Committee, co-chaired the Delta 2 General Education (GE) Task Force, and served on the University Senate Executive Committee.

This year, both deans say their top priority is listening — to department heads, faculty, staff, and students — and helping people feel seen.

Quinn acknowledges the growing demands placed on faculty and staff, and emphasizes the need facilitate research in a changing funding environment.

“Our faculty conduct cutting edge science that helps us all, and I want to work with people so they can continue their research,” she says.

Both also point to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and say that re-energizing the connection between students and faculty is a key focus.

“Students want to be engaged, and faculty want them to be engaged. Our role is to try to close that gap and find ways to show students how what they’re learning applies to their lives right now,” says Quinn.

“We share the critical concepts in our classes, but it is truly wonderful to see what students can do when they get excited. Both need to happen,” adds Wagner.

Community Connection

As they begin their new roles, both associate deans say they are focused on building an open, collaborative environment that connects the entire College.

“I’ve seen both the faculty and the administrative sides, and what I’ve noticed is sometimes it’s difficult when you’re in either role to see the other side,” Wagner says. “I want to work on building trust, because when we collaborate well, that’s how we meet challenges and innovate.”

“You can change the culture so faculty, staff, and students are working together and informed, but it takes work to get there,” says Quinn.

That spirit of connection is also evident in how they spend their personal time.

“My household, we’re Buffalo Bills fans,” says Quinn. “We go to the games, we sit up front. Bills Mafia. Go Bills!”

“I love live music! Classical, jazz, just the vibe that comes from a live event. It’s different when you have people to share it with,” says Wagner.

Whether in a classroom, a concert hall, or a stadium, both deans are energized by the power of community — a principle they say will guide their leadership.

“That’s what excited me about working in the Dean’s Office, the truly collaborative nature of the role,” explains Wagner. “It really fits my interests in interdisciplinary work and working together to solve problems.”