May 23, 2006 -- Joanne Jacobson, a longtime professor of English at Yeshiva College and the department’s chair, is leaping into the next stage of her career: becoming associate dean of academic affairs this June. “This is a moment when the university is hoping to grow significantly in terms of enrollment and make a leap into a more sophisticated, ambitious academic program,” Professor Jacobson said. Through increased faculty hiring, building improvements, and greater student enrollment, the undergraduate men’s college will play a major role in Yeshiva University’s progress. “This feels like a hopeful and exciting time,” she said. “A lot of ideas are on the table and I’m going to have a chance to contribute and to learn.” Professor Jacobson, whose specialty is American literature, is chair of the English department and director of humanities, social sciences and Jewish studies in the dean’s office at Yeshiva College. YC’s new dean, David J. Srolovitz, will be assisted by two associate deans: Professor Jacobson and Fred Sugarman, associate dean for operations. The new setup will allow Dean Srolovitz to focus on fundraising and major initiatives, while Professor Sugarman will oversee day-to-day college finances and operations. Professor Jacobson will be the point-person for issues involving faculty and curriculum. Professor Jacobson will continue teaching one course per semester, although she will take a semester off from the classroom when she starts her new job. She will also continue to find authors for YC’s popular Writer-in-Residence program, co-sponsored by the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program. Professor Jacobson’s interests include 20th-century American autobiography and letter writing, and her book Authority and Alliance in the Letters of Henry Adams (University of Wisconsin Press, 1992) analyzed the correspondence of an historian who described the nation’s social and political world at the turn of the 20th century with unusual intensity. Her published writing includes numerous personal essays in literary periodicals, critical pieces in academic journals, and book reviews in publications such as The Nation. She recently finished her memoir, titled Hunger Artist, on which she has been working for nearly 10 years, and is seeking a publisher. Hunger Artist is a related series of essays about the professor’s upbringing in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL. In the meantime, Professor Jacobson is excited about her new responsibilities, which include being part of a team in contrast to the often-solitary life of an academic. “This is a chance for me to learn from working closely with a great set of colleagues who bring new experience and wisdom to the YC Dean’s Office,” she said.