The NIU College of Law, already celebrated for its diverse faculty, has named Jennifer Rosato to be its next dean.

Rosato becomes one of two Latina law school deans in the country. She is also the second female dean in the law school’s brief 35-year history. Rosato will officially take the dean’s position July 1, replacing interim dean Malcolm L. Morris.

The law school has received numerous commendations for its faculty diversity, including the 2007 Diversity Award from the Council on Legal Education Opportunity. The Princeton Review has ranked the college in the faculty diversity top 10 for the past four years.

Dan Schneider, a law professor who joined NIU in 1984, believes that Rosato has a shared commitment to diversity.

“I think that we share many common goals and that was an important part of the interview process and played a role in her selection,” Schneider said.

Rosato is joining NIU after leaving Drexel University in Philadelphia. During her time at Drexel, she was part of a group that built the Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel from the ground up.

Rosato was an integral part of the curriculum development at the new law school and was the acting dean its first year of existence.

Rosato believes her time at Drexel will make her time at NIU easier.

“Drexel’s law program resembles NIU’s a lot,” Rosato said. “They are similar in size and that presents similar challenges.”

The NIU College of Law has 325 students, and Rosato said the Earle Mack School of Law has about 400.

Before her stay at Drexel, Rosato served at Villanova University School of Law and then later at Brooklyn Law School where she was associate dean of student affairs.

Since Rosato has spent most of her life on the East Coast, she faces an interesting transition in the Midwest.

“We accomplished a lot, especially at Drexel, so it will be hard leaving,” Rosato said. “However, DeKalb is connected to a major city in Chicago, and I look forward to working in the area.”

John Work, senior pre-law student who plans to attend NIU’s College of Law, feels the university took the right step in hiring Rosato.

“I like the fact that she designed Drexel and has fresh ideas,” Work said. “I also like that she probably isn’t going to be making any major policy changes.”

The law school has long stressed public interest law, and Rosato believes in advancing public service from the department throughout the university and the DeKalb area.

“One of the biggest challenges I will face will be using a smaller faculty and law school to balance a commitment to the college, university and the community,” Rosato said.