Deirdre Longacher Smeltzer, Vice President and Undergraduate Academic Dean, began working at EMU in 1998. Prior to 1998, she spent four years as an assistant professor in the Mathematics Department at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Deirdre is an alumna of EMU, where she majored in mathematics, with a Bible minor. She earned an M.S. and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Virginia; Deirdre’s graduate research was in the area of algebraic coding theory. Recent scholarly pursuits have included exploring other branches of combinatorics, the co-authoring of the book Methods for Euclidean Geometry, and (currently) the writing of a second textbook on discrete mathematics. In 2012-13, Deirdre served as the Interim Director of Cross-cultural Programs at EMU. In July of 2013, she moved into the role of Undergraduate Academic Dean. Deirdre is married to Sherwyn Smeltzer, has two daughters, and enjoys reading, cooking, exercise, and travel.