Saleha Bholat

Saleha Bholat

Affiliate Faculty

Faculty professional development; Preparing Future Faculty; Faculty socialization; Faculty work; Community Colleges

Dr. Saleha Bholat serves as an Associate Dean in the Language, Arts, and Social Sciences Division at the Loudoun campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), where she oversees enrollment management and adjunct faculty affairs across a diverse range of disciplines and programs in the Social Sciences and Arts. She also serves as the Pathway Associate Dean for the Arts for the six campus college, advancing curricular alignment and student success initiatives in the visual and performing arts.

An expert of faculty professional development, Dr. Bholat brings extensive teaching & academic leadership experience from her work at community colleges. Her research focuses on faculty professional development and the socialization of faculty in higher education.

Prior to her current leadership role, she was an Associate Professor of Communication Studies and the Associate Director of NOVA Forensics, where she mentored students in competitive speech and debate. Her experiences  in the classroom drive her interests into the scholarship of teaching and learning as well as uncovering ways to better support faculty in their work.  

Dr. Bholat earned a BA and MA in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and her PhD in Education from George Mason University. As a daughter of South Asian immigrants and mother of multi-ethnic children, Dr. Bholat is committed to supporting equity and access in education. She is passionate about creating opportunities for faculty and students to overcome systemic barriers and achieve their full potential. Outside of academia, she is a proud mother of two boys and enjoys exploring the outdoors, discovering new cuisine, and attending live performances with her husband, Dr. Hironao Okahana.