The College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new chairperson and the addition of two new members to its Dean’s Advisory Board (DAB). The DAB is composed of over 30 alumni, parents and friends of A&S who act as stewards and advocates for the College. The Board provides guidance to Dean Behzad Mortazavi and assists in developing resources to further A&S’ strategic goals.

Joining the board are Daniel G. Jaffe ’81 and Flavio Somanji ’15. Lisa Courtice ’84, who joined the DAB in 2021, has been appointed as chair. Courtice assumes the role from Alan Sweetbaum ’78, P’10, who served as chair since 2019. Sweetbaum will remain a member of the advisory board.

“I thank Alan for his excellent service as chair over the past five years," says Mortazavi. "I also congratulate Lisa on her new leadership role and am thrilled to welcome Flavio and Daniel to the board. Their success spanning the fields of medicine, environmental remediation and community well-being demonstrates the impact of their Arts and Sciences education, and we are thankful for their commitment to advancing the liberal arts and sciences as a public good at A&S and in the world.”

Meet the new chair and DAB members:

Lisa Courtice ’84

Lisa Courtice, Ph.D., is president and CEO of the United Way of Central Ohio, one of the largest United Way organizations in the country. She has over 30 years of experience working in nonprofit leadership. Prior to joining the United Way, she was executive vice president and leader of community research and grants management for The Columbus Foundation, the nation’s seventh largest community foundation. She has been featured in Columbus Business First Power 100 for the past six years and was recently named as a Business First Woman of Influence. Courtice majored in political science in A&S | Maxwell and received a master’s degree from West Virginia University and a Ph.D. from the University of Akron.

Daniel G. Jaffe ’81

Daniel G. Jaffe is an environmental consultant with more than 30 years of experience conducting site assessments, soil and groundwater testing, and remediation throughout New England. In 2019, he founded Property Environmental, LLC, a company that provides environmental assessment and cleanup services for commercial sites. Before that, he worked for IES, Inc., serving as that organization’s president for 22 years. Jaffe majored in geology in A&S and received a master’s degree in geology from Baylor University.

Flavio Somanji ’15

Flavio Somanji works in the oncology translational research department for Novartis, a major pharmaceutical company. He is also the founder and CEO of EcoDemand, an e-commerce company dedicated to assisting scientists in acquiring high-quality consumables for their research at cost-effective prices. Somanji majored in biology and neuroscience in A&S and received a Doctor of Health Science from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Learn more about the Dean’s Advisory Board.