Yekaterina “Kat” Baker has joined the Biological Sciences Division as Assistant Dean and Senior Director of Academic Affairs. In this position, she will report to Dr. ‘Sola Olopade, the Dean for Academic Affairs, and provide leadership to academic affairs staff, supporting more than 2,000 academic personnel, affiliates, and visiting scholars across BSD units.
Baker will guide department chairs and executive administrators through the academic review process, and develop tools, standards, and practices to streamline recruitment of faculty and other academic appointees. In this role, she will partner with the Office of Provost to execute academic affairs strategies that are in alignment with applicable laws and university policies. She will also advise department chairs, institute directors and other faculty leaders on faculty recruitment, appointment, promotion, development, and retention, in alignment with initiatives led by the Offices of Faculty Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion.
Baker joins the BSD from Northwestern University, where she has spent the bulk of her career as a dedicated research & operations leader, serving in a variety of roles at Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management. She is a clinically trained counselor, with a background in organizational psychology and change management. She brings extensive experience in research & academic operations, including robust program development, project management, and regulatory compliance expertise.
Most recently, Baker spearheaded the re-organization of disparate research support service lines at Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute within Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. At Kellogg, she led the transformation of Behavioral Research Support, including the development & implementation of a shared services model for research faculty, introducing several new offerings such as IRB support, project staffing, and participant recruitment. In addition to her roles at Northwestern, Baker also oversaw continuing medical education operations at the American College of Surgeons.
Baker takes the place of Karen Jackson, who moved earlier this summer to become Assistant Dean for Human Resources, Academic Affairs & Faculty Affairs at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.
