Administration

Deans of the Liberal Arts, Health and Human Development colleges to step down

Ann Crouter, the Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development, left, and Susan Welch, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, will step down, effective June 30, 2018. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State leaders announced today (Nov. 1) the upcoming departures of two longstanding and highly respected deans. Susan Welch, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts and professor of political science, and Ann Crouter, the Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development and professor of human development, will both step down on June 30, 2018.

“As two of Penn State’s most accomplished and renowned deans, Susan Welch and Nan Crouter have left indelible marks on our institution,” said Nick Jones, executive vice president and provost of the University. “Both are highly respected educators and researchers whose efforts will have lasting impacts not only at the University, but across higher education and beyond. The University wishes Susan and Nan all the best in the next chapters of their lives and thanks them for their exemplary work. They definitely will be missed.”

National searches to find replacements for Welch and Crouter will begin immediately, according to Jones.

Welch began her career at the University in 1991 as dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, and is one of the longest serving deans in Penn State’s history. During her more than two decades with the college, many of its core academic programs have risen to the top 10 in their fields. In 2011, a $5 million gift to the University endowed the “Susan Welch Dean's Chair in the College of the Liberal Arts” in her honor, and in 2012, a $3 million donation from Penn State alumni, friends, administrators, faculty and staff recognized her dedication and years of service to the University. The author of six books and two textbooks, Welch’s research examines urban, ethnic and women’s politics. Welch will return to the faculty in the College of the Liberal Arts.

Crouter will retire after serving as the dean of the College of Health and Human Development for more than a decade. She has a long history at Penn State, joining the college as an assistant professor of human development in 1981. During her time at the University, she served as director of the Center for Work and Family Research and led the Social Science Research Institute and the Consortium for Children, Youth and Families. As dean, she has overseen educational programs ranked among the nation’s best and spearheaded the renovation and construction of the new Health and Human Development Building and Biobehavioral Health Building on the University Park campus. Her research examines the interconnections between work and family life and their implications for psychological development and family relationships.

To learn more about their accomplishments, read Dean Welch's announcement and Dean Crouter's retirement announcement in Penn State News.

Last Updated November 1, 2017