Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences has two new associate deans: The University of Kentucky’s Deborah Murray has been named associate dean for Cooperative Extension and outreach, and UGA’s Silvia Giraudo has been named associate dean of academic programs.
“I look forward to both Dr. Murray and Dr. Giraudo joining our college’s administrative team,” said FACS Dean Linda Kirk Fox. “Their leadership and experience will provide support and guidance to our faculty, staff and students.”
Deborah Murray
Murray will begin her tenure with FACS as associate dean for UGA Extension and outreach effective May 7. She currently serves as associate director of the University of Kentucky’s Health Education through Extension Leadership program, funded with a $5.7 million special grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As grant administrator, Murray has spent the past eight years developing and implementing the HEEL program, which focuses on innovative and collaborative statewide programs between the UK School of Human Environmental Sciences and other colleges and departments.
Prior to her current position, Murray spent 15 years with the UK Cooperative Extension Service in positions that included supervising and directing family and consumer sciences and 4-H county agents. She holds a bachelor’s degree in vocational home economics from Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky., a master’s degree in home economics education from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond and a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from UK.
“Dr. Murray brings extensive experience, the skills to develop and manage entrepreneurial projects and effectiveness in securing funding to support Extension and outreach programming,” Fox said. “She has a keen sense of the purpose and mission of land-grant universities and ways in which our college can capitalize on our expertise in outreach in the broadest sense.”
Silvia Giraudo
Giraudo, who is currently a FACS associate professor of foods and nutrition, has accepted the position of associate dean of academic programs effective June 15.
A native of Argentina, Giraudo earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-Argentina prior to moving to Georgia, where she earned a master’s degree in animal science and a doctorate in animal nutrition from UGA.
Giraudo joined the FACS faculty in 2002. Her research has centered on brain regulation of food intake and energy metabolism as well as the use of educational materials to teach healthy eating habits to young children and prevent early obesity through education.
In addition to her teaching and research duties, Giraudo is director of the school nutrition certification program, which is regulated by the Georgia Department of Education, and has served as the program director of the FACS study abroad program in Xalapa, Mexico, for several years. She serves on the University Council at UGA and is a member of the University Executive Council and the FACS Faculty Advisory Committee. She has previously served as a member of the University Educational Affairs Committee and as an advisory board member of the UGA Learning Communities.
“During her decade as a faculty member, Dr. Giraudo has shown an eagerness to explore new ways of teaching students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels both inside the classroom and through experiential learning,” Fox said. “In addition to her successes at the departmental and college levels, she also has extensive experience at the university level which is essential for the associate dean for academic programs.