John Ramsay Named Provost at Muhlenberg College
John Ramsay, Ph.D., has been named Provost of Muhlenberg College.Friday, March 27, 2009 11:22 AM
Ramsay is currently the Hollis L. Caswell Professor and Chair of the educational studies department at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. Ramsay was also an associate dean at Carleton from 2004-07.
Ramsay earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University and received his Ph.D. in educational studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo. From 1984-89 he was the chair and director of the teacher education program at Dickinson College. He has taught at Carleton College since 1989.
During his tenure as associate dean, Ramsay coordinated the college's efforts to recruit and retain a talented and diverse faculty. He worked on the renewal of major institutional grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. His own teaching and scholarship were supported by grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council on Education and the American Council of Learned Societies.
“This is an exciting challenge for me,” says Ramsay. “The quality and breadth of the liberal arts opportunities for students are two of Muhlenberg's many distinguishing features, and what attracted me to the college.”
Ramsay begins his term July 1. He is replacing Dr. Marjorie Hass, who is leaving the College to be the President of Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
“John Ramsay brings experience, integrity and vision to this position and I look forward to working with him,” says Dr. Peyton R. Helm, President of Muhlenberg College. “I have been tremendously impressed with his thoughtfulness, energy and intelligence, and am confident that he will provide Muhlenberg with outstanding academic leadership.”
In his capacity as Provost, Ramsay will manage all fiscal and personnel aspects of the academic program, overseeing all academic department heads. The Provost also oversees the deans of academic life, international programs, and the Wescoe School; the registrar’s office, the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding, the Martin Art Gallery, the Entrepreneurship Institute, the Center for Ethics and the RJ Fellowship Program.
Ramsay and his wife Michele have three sons. Nicholas is a first-year student at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, Jacob is a first-year student at Coe College in Iowa and Luke is a junior at Northfield High School.
