Baker University announces new dean for the College of Arts and Sciences

Baker University announces Dr. Darcy Russell as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences effective July 1, 2018. Dr. Russell, a 1980 graduate of Baker University, has served 20 years on the biology faculty and five years as chairwoman of the Department of Biology and Chemistry. She will replace the interim dean, Martha Harris.

“I am extremely grateful to Martha Harris for serving as the interim dean of CAS for the last few years,” said Dr. Lynne Murray, president of Baker University. “I have complete confidence that Dr. Russell will excel and thrive as our new dean. Dr. Russell’s passion for Baker University and our students, coupled with her extensive leadership experience will help the university achieve even greater heights.”

Dr. Russell, who has a long history with the campus, was named the Duboc Professor of Biology in 2001 and chairwoman of the Department of Biology and Chemistry in 2013. Before returning to Baker, she taught biology at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, from 1989 to 1998.

Russell says her role as chair of the Department of Biology and Chemistry and her new role as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences are “completely different,” but it is a difference she welcomes.

“I know I will miss teaching,” she said. “I hope, eventually, I can fit a class back into my schedule. But I don’t want to do that the first semester as dean. Especially since I need to focus on doing the new job well. . . . I love change. That is why I love science—because it is always progressing. I am excited to learn new things and attempt new challenges.”

Baker University began a nationwide search for the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences last fall. According to Dr. Murray, the committee selected Dr. Russell on the merits of her reputation as a respected and empathetic professor and mentor and her track record as a dependable leader over her many years of dedication to Baker University.

A search is underway to fill Dr. Russell’s position within the Department of Biology and Chemistry.

###

About Baker University: 

Founded in 1858 as the first university in Kansas, Baker is a private institution that educates traditional and nontraditional students through small classes, innovative instructors, and rigorous course work. Fortune 500 CEOs, New York Times best-selling authors, and Super Bowl champions all proudly claim Baker as their alma mater. The university is home to four schools: College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, School of Education, and School of Professional and Graduate Studies. Baker offers undergraduate through doctoral programs. Visit bakerU.edu to learn more.