[1] Mandel was previously a Professor of History and Judaic Studies and Dean of the College at Brown University.
She specialises in twentieth-century French history, with a particular focus on the interaction of Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian communities in France.
[3] In 1993, she received an MA from the University of Michigan, followed in 1998 by a PhD in Modern Jewish History from the same institution.
Mandel has particularly emphasized the Muslim, Jewish, and Armenian communities in France and has investigated how these groups interact with each other and with broader society.
[4] Specific projects led by Mandel include establishment of the Brown Learning Collaborative that stresses liberal arts competencies teaching "through a peer-to-peer approach," 1stY@Brown online coursework that prepares incoming students for undergraduate curriculum rigors, and overseeing the opening of the First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center.