“This job interested me because it is a new position. It is an opportunity to set up a structure that will work, and there is an opportunity to work closely with faculty and administrators,” she said.

She earned her bachelor’s of art, bachelor’s of education, master’s of arts from the University of Manitoba and her doctorate from the University of Toronto.

Shrofel, who is a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, most recently was dean of the School of Education at Drake University. From 1999 to 2002, she was a professor, chair of doctoral programs and associate dean for academic affairs of the College of Education, Aurora University, Aurora, Ill. She has been a member of the faculty at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan; and Brandon University, Manitoba.

Throughout her teaching and administrative career, she has been involved in issues of diversity and inclusion. “This is an important thread that has run throughout my career,” she said. Shrofel has taught Canadian native languages to native students, worked in a teacher educational project in Cameroon, West Africa; and took an active part in the African American and Latino communities in Aurora.

At Drake, Shrofel raised the profile of the School of Education and provided more budget support through grants and contracts. The school applied for more than $3 million and $2.5 million was received during her time there. She also was involved in creating an assessment plan and developing a new principal licensure program.