Newcomb-Tulane College announces Dr. Eva Silvestre as interim director of the Center for Academic Equity

Newcomb-Tulane College is pleased to announce its appointment of Dr. Eva Silvestre as interim Associate Dean and Director of the Center for Academic Equity. Her term will be from January 1 to June 30, 2020. During that time, the NTC leadership team will be conducting a national search for a full-time permanent replacement for Dr. Rebecca Mark, who announced her departure from Tulane earlier this semester.

Dr. Silvestre has been at Tulane for 7 years as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine teaching courses such as Introduction to Public Health and Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health. In addition, Dr. Silvestre serves as the team lead for Tulane at MEASURE Evaluation and Data 4 Impact, which is a USAID funded program that works in low-resource settings to build the capacity of local organizations to use routine data to evaluate health programs.

“We are grateful to Dr. Mark for her leadership of CAE and her unflagging commitment to our students, and wish her all the best in her new role as the Director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University.” Lee Skinner, Dean of Newcomb-Tulane College

“We’re very happy that Dr. Silvestre has agreed to serve as the interim Director of CAE at this crucial juncture. Her expertise in working with diverse populations and her skills in data collection and assessment are valuable assets as the Center prepares for the transition in leadership, and will ensure that our students continue to have access to the resources and programming they need to excel here at Tulane.” Lee Skinner

Dr. Silvestre has previously partnered with Newcomb-Tulane College on data assessment projects, particularly in the key area of student retention and success. She is also the College Track mentor for the class of 2022. Born in Guatemala, she immigrated to the United States as a child with her family during the country’s civil war seeking political asylum. Her knowledge of issues that students from historically underserved populations face, her strong commitment to the success of undergraduate students, and her research expertise help make her an excellent choice to lead the CAE as the college searches for its next leader. Dr. Silvestre earned a PhD here at Tulane in Public Health, a MA at University of Colorado, Boulder and a BS from Cornell University. Her research focuses on health information and monitoring and evaluation of health programs.  

Dr. Silvestre is looking forward to working with, and learning from, Associate Director Paula Booke and the rest of the Center for Academic Equity staff next semester to provide the most effective and meaningful support for our students. We are thankful to have Dr. Silvestre serving in this role to lead the exceptional team at the CAE in their work to ensure that all students at Tulane have the tools to thrive here.