The former chair of Georgetown University’s linguistics department will serve as the inaugural vice president of graduate studies beginning July 1, the university announced June 22.
Alison Mackey, who has taught at Georgetown for 28 years, will oversee the university’s recently formed Joint Office of Graduate Studies (JOGS), coordinating academic policy and administrative functions. She will serve a three-year term, succeeding Alexander Sens, the current interim vice president for graduate studies and former dean of the now-defunct Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS).
Mackey, who served as chair of the linguistics department from 2021 until recently, said she is excited to focus on working with graduate students.
“I’m thrilled, excited and proud to take on this role, and to continue working in partnership with my Georgetown colleagues to advance graduate education and research across the university,” Mackey said in the university’s announcement. “I’m looking forward to connecting graduate students, educators and support systems across our campuses to bring our community together in new ways.”
The GSAS, which previously housed many graduate programs, began a two-year transition last July, shifting academic programs into individual schools while creating a single office, JOGS, to provide oversight and support.
Mackey said she hopes to support faculty and staff throughout the graduate restructuring process, which will continue through July 2027.
“I’m naturally curious about systems and people, and I’m interested in analyzing how things work and making them work better,” Mackey said. “I’m excited to work within this new, cross-campus structure as it develops.”
Mackey is an internationally recognized researcher who has published 22 books and won several prestigious linguistics awards. She also received the President’s Award for Distinguished Scholar-Teachers, one of Georgetown’s top honors, in 2019.
Mackey will confront a fraught landscape for U.S. graduate programs as the university grapples with declining international graduate enrollment. Departments across the College of Arts & Sciences, which now houses the bulk of doctoral programs, slashed Ph.D. admissions earlier this year as part of university-wide austerity measures.
Mackey said she plans to draw on her research and teaching experiences to inform her tenure as vice president.
“I enjoy working with students at every stage of their education, and as a researcher, I like training students and encouraging their fantastic ideas,” Mackey said. “I also feel privileged to be part of grad students’ journeys. I like the energy and tremendous potential that they bring to campus. I am sad to say goodbye when they leave, but excited and happy for the next step on their journeys.”
