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Dr. Natalie Eschenbaum appointed Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
June 1, 2022
Dear UW Tacoma staff, academic personnel and students,
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Natalie Eschenbaum as dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences. Dr. Eschenbaum will join us beginning August 1 from St. Catherine University, where she is division chair of arts and humanities in the School of Humanities, Arts & Sciences.
She earned her B.A. in English (with a minor in philosophy) from Tulane University, and her Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Her research focuses on sensation studies and affect theory in early modern English literature. She publishes on Shakespeare and seventeenth-century poets, including Robert Herrick. She was professor of English, chair of English, and chair of the faculty senate at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, through 2020.
She began at St. Catherine University as professor of English and division chair of Arts & Humanities in 2020. She served on the Modern Language Association’s Association of Departments of English (ADE) Executive Committee and was president of that group in 2021.
Dr. Eschenbaum wrote:
“I am honored and excited to join the UW Tacoma community. I was deeply impressed by all those I met on campus earlier this month. SIAS is forward-thinking in its design and will be the model of liberal arts learning in the next few decades.
“The many great needs of our time can best be addressed by working collaboratively across disciplinary lines, and together with the community’s organizations, non-profits and business. My goal will be to build on this exceptional strength by leading SIAS through structural change and in strategic visioning. We will keep access and inclusion central to all of our work. I also vow to pay close attention to morale and well-being, which are at an all-time low in the academy. It has been a really tough couple of years, and our hearts and heads need space to heal.”
I particularly want to thank Dr. Divya McMillin for serving as interim dean of SIAS during a very challenging year for UW Tacoma and higher education generally.
I also want to thank the members of the search committee for their dedication to this recruitment: co-chairs Raj Katti (SET dean) and Carolyn West (SIAS faculty, SBHS), and members Jessica Asplund (SIAS staff), William Blakey (SIAS student), Catherine Crook (community partner), Anna Lovasz (SIAS faculty, PPPA), Cassie Miura (SIAS faculty, CAC), Ellen Moore (SIAS faculty, CAC), Jenny Quinn (SIAS faculty, SAM), Deirdre Raynor (SIAS faculty, SHS) and Tanya Velasquez (SIAS faculty, SHS).
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Eschenbaum to UW Tacoma!
Sincerely,
Ali Modarres, Ph.D.
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
COMMITTEE
Advisory Search Committee
- Raj Katti, Professor and Dean, School of Engineering and Technology (co-chair)
- Carolyn West, Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, SBHS (co-Chair)
- Jessica Asplund, Director of Academic Administration, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
- William Blakey, Student, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
- Catherine Crook, GIS Manager, City of Kent, Alumni, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
- Christopher Knaus, Professor, School of Education
- Anna Lovasz, Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (PPPA)
- Cassie Miura, Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (CAC)
- Ellen Moore, Teaching Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (CAC)
- Jenny Quinn, Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (SAM)
- Deirdre Raynor, Associate Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (SHS)
- Tanya Velasquez, Associate Teaching Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (SHS)
Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Committee Charge Letter
December 20, 2021
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for agreeing to serve on the advisory search committee for the position of Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. This committee is composed of outstanding individuals who offer a wide range of expertise and perspectives for this important search.
The committee will be co-chaired by Drs. Carolyn West and Raj Katti. Mr. Alberto Pimentel and his team from the SP&A Executive Search firm will assist you in this search. While we prefer to conduct leadership searches in person, the health precautions of the COVID-19 pandemic will very likely require that all or most meetings and interviews will be conducted via Zoom. When we get closer to campus visits, we will consider the state of the pandemic and make decisions then.
We seek a distinguished and visionary leader to serve as the next dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, one who will work well with all its stakeholders, including other campus units, community partners, alumni, and donors. The University has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, which I ask you to make a top priority throughout the search process. As you recruit and review candidates, please seek nominations and feedback from UW Tacoma faculty, students, and staff, as well as appropriate constituencies within and outside the University of Washington. At the conclusion of the Committee’s review, the Co-Chairs will provide the Chancellor and me with a written summary on behalf of the Committee detailing the strengths and weaknesses of up to four highly qualified candidates.
The Co-chairs will be in touch with information regarding the agenda for the first meeting. I will attend a portion of that meeting to discuss the committee’s charge. Thank you very much for accepting this important role.
Sincerely,
Ali Modarres, Ph.D.
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
