The Sac State news bulletin states Jill Trainer has been named the dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics for Sacramento State.

She will be taking her position over in the middle of July.

“Dr. Trainer is held high esteem by her colleagues as a teacher and has published numerous articles in such journals as Behavioral Ecology, Ethology, and Animal Behavior,” Joseph Sheley, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs said in an announcement.

Trainer is taking the place of Laurel Heffernan who has been the temporary dean since Marion O’ Leary retired in June 2006.

Trainer is coming from the University of Northern Iowa where she is the associate vice president for sponsored programs and a professor of biology.

She also has a master’s degree and a doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from UC Berkeley.