Dean Ann Cudd Appointed Provost at University of Pittsburgh; Process for the Appointment of the Interim Dean of the Boston University College of Arts & Sciences
From Dr. Jean Morrison, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Dr. Ann Cudd, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) and Professor of Philosophy, has announced that she will leave Boston University to become the Provost at the University of Pittsburgh at the end of the summer. She will serve as Dean of CAS through July 31, 2018.
Over the last three years, Dean Cudd has brought energy, enthusiasm, and thoughtful leadership to her role, advancing CAS’s robust, multidisciplinary portfolio and leading important efforts to improve diversity, inclusion, and access within the College. A champion of liberal arts education in an increasingly interconnected world, she has been instrumental in the implementation of the BU Hub, the University’s first University-wide general education program.
Since her appointment in 2015, Dean Cudd has focused attention and investment in further developing areas of research and teaching excellence within CAS, from the enhancement of the College’s digital presence, to growth in neuroscience, climate change and sustainability, the humanities, and the study of inequality. She has been successful in the recruitment of outstanding and diverse tenure-track faculty, in garnering philanthropic support for need-based scholarships, in overseeing the growth of several key programs (from Statistics to Computer Science), and in the launch of the Linguistics PhD program. She led the effort to create the “CAS Think Tank,” a dynamic community space for students that has transformed the first floor of the College’s central building into a locus of intellectual and social activity.
A national search is planned to identify the next Dean of the BU College of Arts & Sciences. I will send a separate memo in the coming weeks to announce the dates and milestones for that search. A change in leadership for an academic unit the size and prominence of CAS within Boston University’s academic ecosystem is a significant undertaking. At the same time, it provides a valuable opportunity for introspection and self-assessment as we determine the attributes and experiences that are essential qualifications for the individuals charged with guiding our academic units to continued excellence.
For the intervening year, President Brown and I will appoint an interim Dean, who will begin on August 1, 2018. Over the next several weeks, I will consult broadly within CAS to identify an interim Dean to serve during the 2018-2019 academic year while we conduct the national-level search. The interim Dean will play an important role in overseeing the College, ensuring that the current momentum of the College is maintained and representing CAS both internally and externally during the year. If you would like to nominate an individual to be considered for this position or would like to be considered yourself, please send a nomination or expression of interest via email to me at provost@bu.edu. Alternatively, you may send nominations or letters of interest in writing to me at the Office of the Provost. I request that you please clearly mark any correspondence ‘Confidential’ on the envelope if you would like it to be held in confidence.
The College of Arts & Sciences is often referred to as “the heart of Boston University” – nurturing the discovery, creation, transmission, and application of knowledge and understanding across the humanities and social, natural, and computational sciences. The next Dean of CAS will be charged with further enhancing the quality and stature of the College.
Please join me in congratulating Ann on her new role.