As Dean of the College for Academic Life, I am committed to working with faculty, students and staff to build and sustain the most engaged learning and teaching environment possible. I have taught English, French and Women’s Studies. I have also served in two administrative positions at the College: Director of Career Development (1981-87) and Dean of the College for Academic Life (1996-present). I am, moreover, a published scholar of books and articles about literature by women.

I have designed classes and programs that seek to stimulate thinking, engage students in the joy of learning, and help make learning a life-long habit in the best of the liberal arts tradition. This engagement can be true of our students at any level of academic skill or achievement. Dedicated faculty, administrative staff, and student peers are partners in this enterprise. We all seek to challenge and support student learners and ourselves.

I believe that every moment of the day presents us with opportunities to learn and teach: a classroom discussion, a laboratory research project, an internship or community service experience, a conversation with a roommate at 2 a.m., and much more. It is up to us all to identify and embrace those opportunities.

Several initiatives have grown out of this philosophy, including two new programs for academically talented students: the Postgraduate Awards Initiative and Summer Research Stipends in all disciplines. Since its inception four years ago, the former has resulted in over 27 awards for students, including the first-ever Truman Fellowship for Muhlenberg and several Fulbrights and NSFs. With these grants, students have pursued studies at Princeton, Harvard, Brown, and universities overseas. Closely mentored students, whether actual award winners or not, have praised our program for its value in developing their habits of self-scrutiny, their sense of participating in a professional conversation within and beyond the College, and their competitiveness for graduate and professional school applications. Many of these students have received Summer Research Stipends of $2500, plus academic credit and paid housing.

For entering students, there is a nationally recognized, year-long Orientation program and small, specialized topic, faculty-led Pre-Orientation programs. A campus-wide initiative has been to articulate and live the importance of academic integrity, also receiving national recognition as a program of excellence. A revised system of academic probation and a new category of academic warning assist students at risk academically. As Director of Career Development in the 1980s and academic dean in the 1990s, I have supported internships as a vital link between academic work and the world of work.