Ruth Goldfine, Ph. D., Named RCHSS’s Associate Dean For Operations, Planning and Innovation

KENNESAW, Ga. (May 26, 2022) — Catherine Kaukinen, dean of the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences (RCHSS) at Kennesaw State University (KSU), has named Ruth Goldfine as associate dean of RCHSS, effective July 1, 2022. Goldfine has held the position of interim associate dean for the past year. While serving as interim associate dean, she assisted with the transition of both programs and personnel from KSU’s University College into the RCHSS, oversaw student success initiatives for the college, led efforts to acquire research space for faculty, and worked on special projects to support the goals of the college. In her new role as associate dean, Goldfine will serve as a member of the college’s leadership team working in collaboration with chairs/directors and the dean to advance the college’s strategic mission and initiatives, including long-term planning.  

“I am honored to have been selected for this position and excited about the opportunity to support the college in realizing its strategic goals,” said Goldfine.  “I’m committed to ensuring the college has the operational resources in place to support faculty and staff as they work to promote the success of our students,” she added.

“Dr. Goldfine’s engagement during the transition of University College programs and personnel into the Radow College was a clear demonstration of her strategic planning skills and the operational management expertise necessary for such a challenging initiative,” said Kaukinen. “Big change can be difficult, but I believe Dr. Goldfine’s ability to take an innovative approach to managing our growth and planning for the future will be done with students, faculty, and staff at the forefront of her decision-making.”

Goldfine is a professor of English and served as a full-time temporary faculty member in KSU’s Department of English before joining the Department of First-Year and Transition Studies (FYTS) as a tenure-track faculty member. She also served as the chair of the FYTS Department for six years and as interim associate dean of University College for two years before joining RCHSS in July 2020.

During her time in the FYTS department, Goldfine’s research focused on first-year students, academic success, and retention initiatives. In addition, she has remained active in her discipline, publishing in two collected works of English essays. Goldfine also spent a semester abroad at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil, where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in English.

Goldfine received her MA in English from the University of Dayton with an emphasis on composition theory and earned her Ph.D. in English from Georgia State University where she focused on rhetoric and composition, with an emphasis on professional writing.