Dr. Claire S. Schen Joins VPUE

Dear colleagues,

I am pleased to share with you that Dr. Claire S. Schen has accepted the position of associate dean for undergraduate research and scholarship in Undergraduate Education. Dr. Schen is a faculty member in the Department of History and has held previous administrative roles at UB, most recently serving as associate dean of undergraduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences from 2016 to 2019, where she was involved in various curricular innovations and initiatives supporting undergraduate student recruitment and success.

In her new role, Dr. Schen will lead the development of an overarching vision and strategic plan to grow undergraduate research at UB, to broaden and deepen opportunities for undergraduate students to engage with research, scholarship, and related experiential activities in academic disciplines across the university. She will also oversee the Experiential Learning Network and serve as a member of the vice provost’s cabinet.

Claire’s official first day will be July 1, 2025.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Schen to Undergraduate Education.

Regards,
Amy

Claire S. Schen joined UB in 2002 as an assistant professor of history and became associate professor of history in 2005, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. Claire served as associate dean of undergraduate education for the College of Arts and Sciences from 2016 to 2019 and has participated in numerous initiatives at UB focused on curricular innovation and student success. Schen is a social historian focusing on the history of Britain prior to 1800. She has published on the history of London, Reformation in England, women and religious change, poverty, charity, and old age, and more recently on piracy and captivity in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Her research on captivity has led her to digital scholarship involving mapping and social network visualizations. Exploring new research and platforms informs her approach to teaching and mentoring undergraduates through innovative research activities and projects. Schen has also held faculty positions at Wake Forest University, Harvard University, Suffolk University, Brandeis University and the Nichols School. Schen earned her PhD in Comparative History from Brandeis University and an AB (Artium Baccalaureus) in History from Brown University.

Read Dr. Schen’s bio here.