Michael Sant’Ambrogio has been recommended to serve as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Law, effective Oct. 25, 2024.  

Since Jan. 9 of this year, Sant’Ambrogio has provided leadership as interim dean of the College of Law, where he is a professor. He also has served as senior associate dean for faculty and academic affairs in the College of Law and, before that, as associate dean for research. 

“I’m very pleased to support this recommendation for the dean of the College of Law,” said MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D. “When I visited the college and met with Interim Dean Sant’Ambrogio and his leadership team last spring, I was highly impressed by their focus on student success, including the expansion of experiential learning opportunities. I look forward to working with him into the future.”

Since stepping into the College of Law leadership role early this year, Sant’Ambrogio has helped advance student success in the College of Law by improving the student-faculty ratio, which has enabled more tailored student-teacher interactions and focused learning. Additionally, the college has expanded its experiential learning opportunities by launching a new Public Defender Clinic, which will open in January 2025 and serve clients across Michigan. The college has also successfully recruited a new assistant dean of admissions and secured additional resources to enhance academic success and bar preparation and programs. 

“Interim Dean Sant’Ambrogio’s swift and steady advocacy in supporting student success; enhancing faculty scholarship; increasing alum and stakeholder engagement; and fostering a positive, collaborative, and communicative culture in the College of Law are all evidence of his leadership strengths,” said MSU Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “A thorough and inclusive evaluative process that included a presentation, feedback survey and constituency group meetings confirm these strengths — as well as my confidence in Michael’s leadership capabilities and potential.”