Simmons College

Deborah Merrill-Sands was appointed dean of the Simmons School of Management in 2005 after serving as interim dean for one year and associate dean for three years.  Dr. Merrill-Sands was co-founder of the school’s research arm, the Center for Gender in Organizations, and built its successful executive education program.  Prior to joining Simmons in 1998, she served as a long-term consultant with the Ford Foundation and World Bank, leading an initiative to recruit and advance women scientists in a global research consortium.  Between 1984 and 1995, she served as a senior research officer focused on strengthening the public sector research organizations for developing countries with the International Service for National Agricultural Research based in The Hague, Netherlands.  She received a B.A. from Hampshire College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in applied anthropology from Cornell University.