Mary Laurita

As the Sophomore Class Dean, Dean Laurita is here to help you to understand and navigate through your second year at Barnard.  The sophomore year is an exciting time, when you’ll be deciding on a major, figuring out where your intellectual interests lie, gaining more skills, and feeling more independence as a student and scholar.  It’s a great time to meet more faculty, gain more in-depth knowledge about all the resources available to you as you continue your academic and intellectual journey at Barnard, and to understand what you need in order to do your best work and to thrive over the next three years.  Dean Laurita is here to provide information and guidance, to listen and support. 

As Associate Dean for Transfer Students, Dean Laurita is here to guide and assist transfer students through this important transition.  She is well-versed in the issues and concerns that you will likely have as you transition to Barnard and is here to answer any questions you may have.  If she doesn’t have all the answers, she will know where to guide you so that you can feel comfortable and welcome as you enter into, and get acclimated to this new culture and environment.

Please feel free to reach out to Dean Laurita (use appointment link  or send her an email at mlaurita@barnard.edu). She is always happy to help.

About me:

I was born in upstate NY, in the Adirondack Mountains, and later moved to the NY suburbs.  I earned an BA in Russian from Tufts University and a BM in Music Performance from New England Conservatory of Music (after transferring schools three times).  I earned my PhD in Russian Literature from Columbia University (with a certificate in the Study of the Soviet Union from the School of International and Public Affairs) and then moved on to work at Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH), the University of South Alabama (Mobile, AL), Washington University (St. Louis, MO), and Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA). I very recently returned to NY, to Barnard College.  I am thrilled to be back.

Along the way, I spent close to a decade living, studying, and working (leading study abroad programs) in Russia and the Soviet Union.  I have taught classes in  Russian, Russian literature,dystopian literature, in the medical humanities, and in intercultural studies. I have been an Academic Advisor for 20+ years. I really enjoy working with undergraduates.

I love to read, hike, spend time in parks, and with my family.  I am excited to reconnect with New York City.