Dean of Students

The Dean of Students Office works with students, faculty, divisional staff, and campus partners to advance the academic, personal, and professional development of students in the Physical Sciences Division. Our central mission is to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students as they pursue their education and thrive as members of the broader University of Chicago community. 

Our regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, ERC 307. You can reach the Dean of Students Office by emailing psd-dos@lists.uchicago.edu or contacting any of the deans listed below: 

Bahareh Lampert

Bahareh Lampert

Dean of Students
blampert1@uchicago.edu
T: 773-702-8790

Bahareh provides comprehensive oversight and support for the Physical Sciences Division’s graduate programs, serving well over 2000 students in nine PhD programs and five Master’s Programs.  She oversees all aspects of student administration in the Division, including registration, funding, financial aid, recruitment, admissions, advising, diversity and inclusion initiatives, student events and wellness programming, crisis intervention, and academic integrity issues. She also leads strategy on developing policies and programs that improve the student experience, and provides support to faculty, staff, and central administration on all matters related to student affairs.


Zellencia Harris

Assistant Dean of Students
zellenciah@uchicago.edu
T: 773-834-9496

Zellencia manages TA and RA position appointments, PhD student funding inquiries, and student onboarding procedures.  She is responsible for Divisional processes related to teaching tracking, military-affiliated communities, and matriculating student funding, often working closely with partner offices across campus on all matters related to student payments.


Sarah Lippert

Assistant Dean of Students
sarah8@uchicago.edu
T: 773-702-9985

Sarah manages the Division’s Orientation and Convocation events, and regularly provides student wellness programming throughout the academic year. She serves as the primary point of contact for questions related to Student Disability Services, the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee, and all other student leadership opportunities in the PSD.  She also frequently supports the implementation of special projects and new initiatives in the Dean of Students office.


Sonia Lizardo

Sonia Lizardo

Assistant Dean of Students
slizardo@uchicago.edu
T: 773-702-4976

Sonia manages all Divisional processes related to student records.  She is responsible for enrollment verification, milestone completion and related reporting, quarterly grade submission, graduation tracking, registration concerns, and transcript review for all of PSD’s graduate programs.  She also provides critical support in the Dean of Students office for data reporting and serves as lead on CPT/RCOT inquiries.


Laura Rigazzi

Laura Rigazzi

Senior Associate Dean of Students for Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid
lrigazzi@uchicago.edu
T: 773-702-9708

Laura provides strategic oversight and supervision for recruitment, admissions, and graduate student funding within the Dean of Students office. She leads Divisional efforts to ensure the accurate and timely payment of over 900 PhD students, funded through a diverse range of mechanisms. 


Sierra Sterling

Sierra Sterling

Senior Associate Dean of Students for Student Affairs
ssterlin@uchicago.edu
T: 773-702-3194

Sierra provides strategic oversight and supervision for all student communication activities and functions in the Division.  She leads efforts in the Dean of Students office on registration processes, Leaves of Absence, Non-Degree Visiting Students, complex inquiries, graduate student financial aid, and Orientation and Convocation events throughout the academic year.


Megan Swartz

Assistant Dean of Students
swartzm@uchicago.edu
T: 773-834-4501

Megan manages the Division’s MS program admissions processes, and provides support for certificate programs and MS and PhD recruitment activities, serving as a resource for incoming student inquiries related to language assessment, NDVS, matriculation, and visa processes.  She also helps to lead on graduate student funding procedures, financial aid packaging, and summer research arrivals.


Contact us

psd-dos@lists.uchicago.edu

Location

William Eckhardt Research Center, Room 307 (campus map)
5640 South Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

Hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.