The Graduate School and International Education has appointed an interim associate dean and an assistant dean to its leadership team.

Christa Hestekin, an associate professor in the Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering and associate head for the department's graduate program, has been appointed interim associate dean of the graduate school, beginning Aug. 22. She replaces Jim Gigantino, who was appointed interim vice provost for academic affairs earlier this month.  

Additionally, Patricia Gamboa, previously the director of graduate and international recruitment and admissions in the Graduate School and International Education, has been promoted to assistant dean for the graduate school.

"I am thrilled to be adding these two wonderful colleagues to our leadership team in the Graduate School and International Education," said Curt Rom, interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education. "They bring strong skillsets and experience to our team at a crucial time for GSIE. I look forward to working with them as we hit the ground running this fall to serve our campus."

Hestekin and Gamboa join the school's other administrators including Rom; Fran Hagstrom, associate dean for international education; and Melissa Erwin, who was promoted to assistant dean for finance and administration in February.

Christa Hestekin

Hestekin, who also holds the Ansel and Virginia Condray Professorship in Chemical Engineering, has taught at the university since 2006, beginning as an assistant professor before her promotion to associate professor in 2013. She also served as interim department head in 2021 and graduate coordinator for the department before transitioning to associate head of the graduate program in 2018.

In her new role, Hestekin will supervise the Offices of Graduate and International Admissions; Graduate Fellowships, Enrollment and Graduate Services; Testing Services; and the interdisciplinary graduate degree programs. She will also work to develop and promote graduate education on campus, advocate for graduate students and support graduate student success initiatives, and monitor compliance with graduate and university policies, among other duties.

"As a faculty member with an active research group, I appreciate the value that graduate students bring to our university," Hestekin said. "I am excited to be able to give back to the graduate community through this role."

"In addition to her strong academic background, Dr. Hestekin has experience working with and supporting graduate students in her roles in the College of Engineering," Rom said. "She brings an invaluable perspective to our school and is a rising star at the university. I am excited to see her continue the great work of Dean Gigantino."

Her research interests focus in the areas of electrically-driven separations for applications in medicine, agriculture and environmental sciences. Specific research projects include understanding amyloid aggregation, biofuel production from algae, production of novel biobatteries and the development of an artificial kidney.  Additionally, Hestekin has served as vice president and president of the AES Electrophoresis Society.

Hestekin received her undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky in chemical engineering and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in chemical and biological engineering. 

Patricia Gamboa

In her new role, Gamboa is responsible for leading a strategic enrollment growth plan for Graduate School and International Education, in addition to overseeing recruitment and other administrative functions supporting graduate students. She reports to Rom.

"We are pleased to promote Ms. Gamboa as we start some strategic initiatives, particularly strategic recruiting, marketing and enrollment growth," Rom said. "She has brought a strategic mindset to her role leading recruiting and admissions, helping revise our policies and procedures that have led to increased enrollment growth and more student-friendly processes. I look forward to working with her in her new role."

Gamboa has served as director within GSIE since 2020, where she led efforts to achieve record graduate enrollment in 2020 and 2021 and strategically improved admissions and recruiting processes during the COVID-19 pandemic, when institutions were pressured to rethink how to recruit and admit. Gamboa and her team proactively implemented holistic review for graduate students, updated policies and transformed recruitment strategies.

She has served on or chaired numerous committees during her time at the university, including the Provost Office's Enrollment Advisory Committee, Hoyt Purvis Award Selection Committee, the Collis R. Geren Award Planning Committee and Faculty Senate English as a Second Language Committee. She was also a member of the second cohort of the UARK Leaders program.

"I am grateful and humbled by the opportunity to serve in this capacity and consider myself fortunate to promote graduate and international education while advancing the university's mission," Gamboa said. "I am eager to cultivate student and scholar success, serve as an advocate, bolster high-caliber graduate programs and facilitate the enrollment of graduate and international students."

Prior to joining the U of A, Gamboa worked at the University of Texas at Austin where she managed global partnerships with sponsoring agencies. She designed educational programs that promoted cultural exchanges and facilitated the placement of Fulbright Foreign Student Program grantees at UT.

Gamboa holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico and a master's degree in higher education from the U of A.