Dr. Kamala C. Kiem
Kiem joins Columbia from Clark University, where she has served as associate provost for student success and dean of students. As dean of Undergraduate Student Life, she will lead teams across the divisions of Residential Life, Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs, whose primary focus is building a vibrant and inclusive undergraduate community. Her selection followed a national search that involved students, staff, faculty and University partners.
Before Clark, Kiem spent more than a decade at Fairfield University in progressive leadership roles, including as associate dean of students, where she developed integrated onboarding and orientation programs, advanced first-year and living-learning communities and created influential peer leadership and student development models. Earlier in her career, she served in residence life and student development roles at Smith College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Michigan State University, building foundational programs in community and student development, conflict resolution and peer leadership.
Kiem received her Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Massachusetts Boston and holds master’s degrees in student affairs administration (Michigan State University) and social justice education (UMass Amherst).
