Arts & Letters Dean Search
Michigan State University is conducting a search for its next Dean of the College of Arts & Letters. Updates throughout this process will be provided on this webpage. The executive search firm, Russell Reynolds and Associates, will facilitate the search process. If you have nominations for qualified applicants, please send them to the search firm at MSU.CAL@russellreynolds.com.
Candidate Materials
Coming Soon
Search Committee Members
Name
Title
Mary Finn*
Search Committee Co-Chair; Professor, School of Criminal Justice, College of Social Science
Jeff Wray*
Search Committee Co-Chair; Professor and Timnick Chair in the Humanities, English and Film Studies, College of Arts & Letters
Kristin Arola
Professor and Director American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
Peter De Costa
Professor, Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures and Second Language Studies; MATESOL Program Director, College of Arts & Letters
Ken Desloover
Chief of Staff, College of Arts & Letters
Benjamin Duke **
Associate Professor, Art, Art History, and Design, College of Arts & Letters
Tony Grubbs
Department Chairperson and Associate Professor of Spanish, Department of Romance and Classical Studies, College of Arts & Letters
Nicole Huff
Ph.D. Student, English, College of Arts & Letters
Chamara Kwakye
Assistant Professor, African American and African Studies, College of Arts & Letters
Cristian Lambaren Sanchez
Academic Specialist – Community Engagement, Residential College of Arts and Humanities
Sydney Logsdon
Undergraduate Student Representative, English, College of Arts & Letters
Kristen Mapes
Associate Director of Digital Humanities
Jen Marcy
Faculty, Religious Studies; Director of the Global Nonprofit Leadership Program, College of Arts & Letters
Alejandra Marquez
Assistant Professor, Spanish, College of Arts & Letters
John McClendon
Professor, Philosophy, College of Arts & Letters
Bree Straayer
Assistant Professor, Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures, College of Arts & Letters
Ranae Selmeyer
Assistant Professor, Theatre, College of Arts & Letters
Benjamin Tobey
Web Service Manager, Marketing Office, College of Arts & Letters
*Committee Co-Chairs
**Affirmative Action Advocate
Search Timeline
October 18, 2024: Search Committee Charged by Provost
November – January 2025: Recruitment
Early February: Candidate Review
Early March: First Round Interviews
Late March – Late April: Final Interviews and Selection
Search Updates/Communication
Updates and communications related to the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters search:
Dear College of Arts & Letters Community,
As we begin the search for the next Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, we invite you to submit nominations to our search consultant at MSU.CAL@russellreynolds.com. We need only the names of the individuals you wish to nominate, along with their current institution/organization. You should also consider individuals currently employed at MSU. You are welcome to provide your rationale for the nomination, if you wish. Such information is helpful, although not necessary. The search consultant will be responsible for contacting nominees and asking them to submit their CV if they are interested in the position. Your identity as a nominator will be kept confidential. We encourage you to nominate those whom you believe would be strong candidates, whether or not you believe they are open to considering a new opportunity. We also encourage you to suggest potential candidates who will enhance MSU’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
If you have any questions or comments about the search process or timeline, now or at any time during the search process, please feel free to contact either of us. We will answer as fully as we can while simultaneously respecting the confidentiality of the search process.
Sincerely,
Jeff and Mary Finn
Co-chairs
Questions?
Questions about the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters search can be directed to the search firm, Russell Reynolds and Associates, at MSU.CAL@russellreynolds.com
Russell Reynolds & Associates Executive Search Firm Partner:
Jett Pihakis, Ph.D, Partner and Leader of Higher Education Practice, Russell Reynolds and Associates, Jett.Pihakis@russellreynolds.com