Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD, Appointed Dean of Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
VILLANOVA, Pa. (PRWEB) May 26, 2015 -- Villanova University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, announced the appointment of Adele Lindenmeyr, PhD, as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), effective immediately. An internationally-recognized expert in modern Russian history and culture, Lindenmeyr is a distinguished teacher-scholar with impressive achievements in teaching, scholarship and administration. She most recently served as Interim Dean of the College, a position she held since June 2014.
As Dean of Villanova’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the oldest and largest of the University’s six colleges, Lindenmeyr will serve as chief administrator and chairperson of the College—which has approximately 4,500 students (undergraduate and graduate), 400 faculty, 125 staff members and an alumni body of more than 67,000. She will oversee an annual budget of more than $50 million and lead the College’s long-term strategic and academic planning, curricular initiatives, faculty recruitment and research support, student academic development, alumni and external relations, and fundraising.
“Dr. Lindenmeyr is the ideal choice for this key leadership role,” said Father Donohue. “Her exceptional qualifications, impressive vision and strong leadership abilities – combined with a proven commitment to our Augustinian and Catholic mission – make her uniquely qualified to lead the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lindenmeyr’s appointment will ensure that the College is well positioned to continue its foundational role in providing all Villanova students with a strong academic grounding and understanding of our Augustinian and Catholic identity and mission.”
Lindenmeyr is a passionate and committed advocate for both undergraduate and graduate education. Under her leadership the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has made significant strides forward. Over the past year, nine students from the College received Fulbright Scholarships, the University announced the establishment of a new doctoral program in Theology, and the College undertook a Strategic Alignment and Program Review. Lindenmeyr has also served as a dedicated advocate for the University’s comprehensive capital campaign, which to date has achieved 70% of its goal.
“I am honored and excited by this appointment,” Lindenmeyr said. “During my years here Villanova has advanced in excellence in all areas, while remaining true to the Augustinian educational ideals that have shaped our history and inspired me as a teacher, scholar and administrator. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has never been in a stronger position than it is today. As dean I am committed to ensuring an environment in which faculty, staff and students continue to innovate and excel.”
An internationally-recognized expert in modern Russian history, Lindenmeyr is a full tenured professor and has received numerous fellowships and awards, including an award for her first book and a research fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, and her research has been published in American, European and Russian scholarly outlets. She is currently serving as a co-editor of an international collaborative project devoted to publishing the latest scholarship on the Eastern Front in World War I and the 1917 Revolution. Lindenmeyr is also completing a book, Citizen Countess: Sofia Panina and the Russian Revolution, the first biography of one of the most prominent women of this era.
A member of the Villanova community for 28 years, Lindenmeyr previously served as Dean of Graduate Studies for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and as the chairperson of the History Department. During her tenure at Villanova, she has served on numerous university and college committees and organizations, from the University’s Strategic Planning Steering Committee to the Villanova chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Before coming to Villanova in 1987, Lindenmeyr served on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in Russian and earned her PhD in History at Princeton University.
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova is the oldest and largest of the University’s six colleges. It was founded by the Augustinian Order in 1842 to provide an atmosphere of responsible learning to a diverse group of students called to intellectual, moral and professional leadership. The College seeks to promote intellectual curiosity and rigor within the University; to instill the fundamentals of critical insight, mature judgment and independent thinking in its students; and to awaken in its students a sense of the importance of values and the moral responsibility of caring for others and working for the betterment of society.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit http://www.villanova.edu.
Kiera Daly Soltis, Villanova University, +1 (610) 519-7357, [email protected]
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