McDougal Graduate Student Life Staff & Fellows

Primary Responsibilities: McDougal Student Center, New Students & Orientation, Student Activities & Student Life

Lisa Brandes joined the staff of the Graduate School in 1996 upon the founding of the McDougal Graduate Student Center. She has worked with graduate student fellows and staff to develop a wide range of social and cultural events and foster a greater sense of community among students and postdoctoral fellows. She oversees orientation and various events sponsored by the Graduate School, including coordination of Commencement activities.

Raised in Louisiana, Dean Brandes received her B.A. in political science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She earned her M.A., M.Phil and Ph.D. in Political Science at Yale, with a specialization in international relations. Lisa held faculty positions at Tufts and Wesleyan Universities, and her research focused on the domestic sources of foreign policy, particularly the impact of gender on public attitudes toward war and peace issues. Brandes has served as an officer within regional and national political science associations and women’s groups. More recently, she has been a leader in graduate student services associations and active in graduate education issues, writing articles, consulting, and making conference presentations on graduate student life and mental health.

Primary Responsibilities: Administrative Support, Facilities, McDougal Center Events

Primary Responsibilities: McDougal Student Center, New Students & Orientations, Student Life & Wellness