 Schaal became Washington University’s dean of Arts & Sciences on January 1, 2013.In 2015 Schaal was elected as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and assumed the position in 2016.In her president's address at AAAS' 2017 annual meeting, held Feb. 16-20 in Boston, titled 'Science and Technology for the Public Good,' she discussed the value of science and told the audience of scientists, students, journalists and science communicators that 'it is our obligation as scientists and citizens to speak up for science … be a force for science.