APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Lawrence University has named its next provost and dean of the faculty.
Officials announced Wednesday that Catherine Gunther Kodat will become the school’s chief academic officer on July 1. Kodat will replace David Burrows, who’s planning to return to the psychology department at the end of the school year.
Kodat, who’s currently dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of English at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, says the job description piqued her interest.
“The posting said Lawrence was looking for ‘a leader with a strong vision and a humane, personal touch,’” Kodat said in a news release. “Most of these job descriptions sound a lot like one another, but that line was unique. It caught my attention and told me something about Lawrence that certainly was consistent with my view of the world.”
“The prospect of joining an intellectual community where music plays such a central role, both academically and in the everyday life of the campus, is tremendously exciting to me.”
President of Lawrence University Mark Burstein says Kodat’s credentials were a perfect fit for the school.
“Katie’s interest in Lawrence drew early attention from the search committee and our interactions with her only increased our desire to have her join us,” Burstein said in a news release. “From the beginning, it was clearly a difficult task to find someone who had the temperament, experience and love of the liberal arts to carry forward the very successful tenure of Dave Burrows. I think we have found such a person in Katie.”
Prior to her time at Lewis & Clark, Kodat taught at Hamilton College, Boston University, Boston College and Tufts University. She also spent time as a metro reporter and dance critic for the Baltimore Sun in the 1980s.
Kodat earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Baltimore and master’s a doctorate degrees from Boston University.