Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan has appointed Cynthia Carter Ching to serve as interim dean for the School of Education effective July 1. Ching will lead the school until the new dean begins.

“While the search is taking longer than we had hoped, we are steadfast in our commitment to find the right leader for our outstanding School of Education,” Croughan said. "I am very grateful to Cynthia for stepping into this vital leadership position. Her depth of experience and passion for education will keep the school moving in the right direction.”

Ching, associate dean for academic programs in the School of Education since 2016, joined UC Davis in 2007. She also served as interim vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education from 2020 to 2022. An interim associate dean will be appointed in August to fulfill Ching’s current duties.

Lauren Lindstrom, the School of Education’s current dean, will complete her appointment on June 30. After a one-year sabbatical, she will resume her duties as a professor in the School of Education in fall 2024. Lindstrom joined UC Davis in 2017 from the University of Oregon’s College of Education, where she spent more than 25 years as an academic and administrator.

During her time as dean, Lindstrom successfully guided the school through remote learning and operations necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She served as a champion for individuals who are underrepresented in education and in teaching, and the school made significant strides in recruiting diverse faculty members under her leadership.

Lindstrom also was responsible for expanding teaching and learning opportunities, including the opening of the PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab. The school took on the College Opportunity Programs, which includes key federally funded programs GEAR UP, Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound. The programs serve 5,000 junior high and high school students across Northern California, most of whom live in disadvantaged communities with low rates of employment and high school completion, are from low-income families, or are potential first-generation college students.

“We have great momentum thanks to Lauren’s exceptional leadership over the past six years,” Croughan said. “I am confident that the stellar reputation of our faculty, students and staff will attract exceptional candidates and, ultimately, a talented new leader for the School of Education.”