Dean's Welcome

Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the College of Arts & Letters,

I am honored and excited to start my tenure as Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Letters. Dean Sandstrom was one of the best Deans I have worked with in my thirty years of full-time college teaching, and I am humbled to follow him in this role.

I am looking forward to this opportunity to work with my colleagues in the College to further our mission in teaching, research, and service in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. I see my role as being an advocate for and to reinforce the importance of the College's departments and interdisciplinary programs and centers within the context of the University and the community. This means actively working with and listening to our faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders to promote the College in the present and plan for the future.

As home to the arts, humanities, and social sciences, the College of Arts and Letters is the heart of what a liberal arts university should be. While these are difficult times for us all, the sense of community fostered by Dean Sandstrom, which I pledge to continue, will serve us well as we all work together to meet our current and future challenges.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jonathan Leib

Interim Dean, College of Arts and Letters

Professor of Geography