Heather Hathaway, associate dean of academic affairs in the College of Arts & Sciences, was named acting dean for the College of Arts & Sciences Thursday in a news release. She will assume the role June 1.
Hathaway will succeed Dean Rick Holz, who announced last month that he will leave Marquette to become provost at Colorado School of Mines.
“Dr. Hathaway has served as a key leader in the college for many years, and I’m delighted that she will take on this important new role,” Acting Provost Kimo Ah Yun said in the release. “I’m looking forward to working with her and Dean Holz on a smooth transition, so that we can best position Marquette’s flagship college for the future.”
In the release, Hathaway said she feels privileged to assume the role as acting dean for the college.
“Dean Holz has implemented important programs and initiatives during the past six years, and I look forward to working with our exceptional faculty, administrators and staff to maintain these during this interim period,” Hathaway said. “I am confident that we in the Klingler College community will continue to strive for excellence in all we do.”
Hathaway, an associate professor of English has served as associate dean for academic affairs from 2005-’08 and currently since 2017. She has also served in numerous roles at the university, college and department levels, including director of the Africana Studies program, co-director of the University Honors Program, vice chair of the Board of Graduate Studies, director of undergraduate and graduate studies in English and interim director of the First-Year English program.
She co-founded the Arnold Mitchem Fellowship program, an initiative to support the presence of underrepresented racial and cultural groups in doctoral programs. She also played a central role in the development and promotion of the Race, Ethnic and Indigenous Studies program.
Hathaway earned her bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies from Wesleyan University and her Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University. Her research focuses on African-American and Japanese-American literature and culture.
She was awarded the John P. Raynor Award for Teaching Excellence and the National Residence Hall Honorary Faculty Excellence Award.
The announcement of acting dean introduces the search for a new provost, which will start next month after spring break. According to the release, a search committee and search firm will be identified in the coming weeks.
The search for the next permanent dean of the College of Arts & Sciences will follow the provost search so the permanent provost can weigh in on the process, according to the release.
