Dean Robin A. Douthitt
Dean Robin A. Douthitt, Dean of the School of Human Ecology, completed her PhD in Microeconomics at Cornell University and came to the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Consumer Science professor in 1986.
She founded the UW-Madison Women’s Faculty Mentoring Program and served on the University of Wisconsin Athletic Board, where she represented Wisconsin faculty to the Big Ten. She was named Vaughan Bascom Professor, the highest honor a UW-Madison faculty member can receive. And, in 2000, she received the Cabinet 99 Faculty/Staff Recognition Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
Robin Douthitt was named Dean of the School of Human Ecology in 2000. She manages four departments, including Consumer Science, leads five research centers, and directs a $11-million operating budget.
Dean Douthitt has led a project to greatly expand and renovate the School’s main building – to create a technology-rich environment; promote interactions among faculty, students, and staff with gathering spaces such as study commons, wireless study alcoves, and a café; enhance the visibility of the School’s unique assets, including the Design Gallery and Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection; and provide a safe drop-off area and parking to support the Preschool’s educational, research, and outreach programs. The School broke ground on the project in April 2010, and construction is expected to take about two years.
