College Deans, 1968-

‌The University of Northern Iowa gained university status in 1967. University status brought the need for a collegiate administrative structure under which instructional departments with similar interests could be organized. UNI organized four colleges in 1968:

  • Business and Behavioral Sciences
  • Education
  • Humanities and Fine Arts
  • Natural Sciences

A Graduate College was also noted in the 1968-1969 budget, but it was not fully organized until 1969-1970. In addition, several large departments were not divided into more discrete departments until 1971.

Special Collections & University Archives

In 1981 the Business Department emerged from the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences as the School of Business, with collegiate status and its own array of differentiated business-related departments. The College of Business and Behavioral Sciences then became the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In 1989 the School of Business became the College of Business Administration.

For more information about the colleges and their changes over time, see College Names at UNI and the course catalogs.

Colleges are administered by deans. Deans report to the Vice-President and Provost.

Listed below are the deans who have administered UNI's colleges. Exact dates are shown if they were readily obtainable. But in some areas there is imprecision on exactly when one dean left service and when their successor began. We have also noted cases in which someone served in an acting or interim capacity. And, in some cases, we have noted when someone moved from an acting or interim capacity to a regular appointment as dean. We have also noted the instructional departments in which the deans held tenure.

Please note that this information is not always regularly updated. Current information about college deans is generally readily available on the UNI website. Patrons are always welcome to visit SC&UA or contact SC&UA staff at libarchives@uni.edu about consulting sources directly.

  • College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 1968-1981; succeeded by College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1981-present
    • Donald Howard (History), 1968-1972
    • Robert E. Morin (Psychology), 1972-1985
    • Jerry Stockdale (Sociology and Anthropology), acting, November 1985-Fall 1986
    • John Deegan (Political Science), Fall 1986-July 31, 1989
    • Donald Whitnah (History), acting, Fall 1989-Fall 1990
    • Aaron Podolefsky (Sociology and Anthropology), Fall 1990-June 1998
    • James Chadney (Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology), interim, July 1998-June 30, 1999
    • Julia Wallace (Psychology), interim, July 1, 1999-March 31, 2000; April 1, 2000-December 2007
    • John W. Johnson (History), interim, January 1, 2008-June 30, 2009
    • Philip Mauceri (Political Science), July 1, 2009-June 2012
    • Brenda Bass (Applied Human Science, Family Studies), interim July 2012-2014, July 2014-present 
  • College of Education, 1968-present
    • Howard T. Knutson (Education), 1968-1976
    • Dale F. Nitzschke (School Admin. & Personnel Services), 1976-August 15, 1980
    • Gordon J. Rhum (Education), acting, August 16, 1980-August 31, 1981
    • Fred D. (Don) Carver (School Administration), September 1, 1981-July 1987
    • Thomas J. Switzer (Curriculum and Instruction), August 1987-June 2002
    • William P. Callahan (Special Education), interim, July 2002-June 30, 2003
    • Jeffrey W. Cornett (Curriculum and Instruction), July 1, 2003-May 2007
    • William P. Callahan (Special Education), May 2007-June 30, 2010
    • Dwight C. Watson (Curriculum and Instruction), July 1, 2010-June 30, 2015
    • Victoria Robinson (Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education), interim July 1, 2015 - spring 2016
    • Gaëtane Jean-Marie (Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education), Fall 2016-2019
    • Colleen Mulholland (Curriculum & Instruction), interim, 2019-2021; March 9, 2022-present 
  • College of Humanities and Fine Arts, 1968-June 30, 2011
    • Allan Shields (Philosophy and Religion), 1968-July 31, 1970
    • Harry Ausprich (Speech), August 1, 1970-July 1973
    • Francis E. Smith (English), acting, August 1973-1974
    • Janet Travis (Philosophy and Religion), 1974-January 31, 1977
    • Joseph Ruffo (Art), acting, February 1, 1977-Fall 1977
    • Margarette Fink Eby (Music), Fall 1977-July 1981
    • Thomas Thompson (Philosophy and Religion), June 1982-summer 1990
    • Beverly Byers-Pevitts (Communication and Theatre Arts), July 1, 1990-January 1995
    • James Lubker (Communicative Disorders), August 25, 1995-2005
    • Reinhold Bubser (Modern Languages), acting, 2005-2006; interim, 2006-December 2009
    • Joel Haack (Mathematics), January 2010-June 30, 2011; also served as Dean of the College of Natural Sciences
  • College of Natural Sciences, 1968-June 30, 2011
    • Clifford McCollum (Science), 1968-December 1983
    • Roy Saigo (Biology), 1984-August 1990
    • Gerald Inteman (Physics), interim, August 1990-February 1991; February 1991-2000
    • Joel Haack (Mathematics), interim, July 2000-June 30, 2001
    • Kichoon Yang (Mathematics), July 1, 2001-December 17, 2004
    • Joel Haack (Mathematics), interim, January 1, 2005-2006; 2006-June 30, 2011; also served as Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts
  • Graduate College, 1969-present
    • William Lang (History), 1968-1969
    • Gordon Rhum (Education), acting, July 1969-April 1970; April 1970-1976
    • H. Ray Hoops (Speech Pathology), 1976-1980
    • Jan Robbins (English), acting, 1980-1981
    • John C. Downey (Biology), 1981-1988
    • John Somervill (Psychology), acting, 1988-1989; 1989-June 30, 2004
    • Susan Koch (HPELS), interim, July 1, 2004-May 2007
    • Sue Joseph Joslyn (HPELS), interim, May 2007-August 15, 2010
    • Michael J. Licari, (Political Science), August 16, 2010-July 31, 2014
    • April Chatham-Carpenter (Communication Studies), 2014-2015
    • Kavita Dhanwada (Biology), July 1, 2015-2017
    • Patrick Pease (Geography), interim, 2017-2018
    • Jennifer Waldron (Kinesiology), July 2018- June 2022
    • Gabriela Olivares (Languages and Literature), interim, June 2022-June 2023
    • Stephanie Huffman, July 1, 2023-present
  • School of Business, 1981-1989; succeeded by College of Business Administration, 1989-present
    • Robert J. Waller (Management), 1981-1986
    • Elvon Warner (Business Education), acting, 1986-1987
    • Paul Uselding (Economics), 1987-July 1990
    • Clair Rowe (Marketing), interim, August-November 30, 1990
    • Robert Minter (Management), November 30, 1990-1995
    • Geofrey Mills (Finance), acting, September-December, 1995
    • Daniel Power (Management), acting, January-July 1996
    • Willis Greer (Accounting), August 1, 1996-June 2001
    • Farzad Moussavi (Management), interim, July 1, 2001-April 2003; April 2003-July 31, 2015
    • Leslie K. Duclos Wilson (Management, Management Information Systems), interim August 1, 2015-June 30, 2017; July 1, 2017-present
  • College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, 2011-present
    • Joel Haack (Mathematics), July 1, 2011-June 30, 2015
    • John Fritch (Communication Studies, Communication and Media), July 1, 2015-present

Compiler: Page created by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson; updated by Student Assistant Ashley Thronson, July 2016; updated by student assistant Noel Keil, June-July 2023.

Sources