PELLA — Dr. Mark Putnam, president of Central College (Iowa), and the Central College community proudly announce the appointment of Dr. Mary E. Morton Strey, as the new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. Strey will begin her duties July 1, 2011.
Strey most recently served as professor of chemistry and biology, tenured in both departments, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., where she also held the post of inaugural provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2007-09. Prior to that she was dean of the college of arts and sciences and professor of biology at the University of Dayton and spent 13 years at College of the Holy Cross, as a faculty member, coordinator of science programs (1997-2000), and associate dean of the college (2000-2004).
“Dr. Strey is extremely talented and brings a vast amount of experience to a position that is integral to our continued transformation through innovation, teamwork, transparency and collaboration,” said Putnam. “The search committee and I feel strongly she will be a rich addition to our academic community.”
Strey, who earned a B.A. from Bowdoin and Ph.D. from Dartmouth, has left a trail of notable achievements at each of her stops. At Gustavus, the board and president entrusted her with the responsibility of leading the strategic planning process for the entire college. After its successful development and approval, Strey created working groups to implement initiatives and achievement of the five main goals of the strategic plan. She and faculty colleagues in the sciences secured Gustavus’ first award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes for $1 million for curriculum development, research, peer mentoring and outreach.
At the University of Dayton and Gustavus, she oversaw the undergraduate education of 2500-3300 students, working closely with faculty and members of the administration. Her broad base of knowledge spans across additional campus offices including enrollment management, advancement, finance, financial aid and student affairs.
Her time at Dayton was marked again by her influence in the development of the college’s strategic plan and academic strategic plan. She also managed a significant annual budget, a large staff and many centers and programs, in addition to the core business of academic departments and programs with bachelors, masters and doctorate programs. She helped launch learning-living communities in the residence halls, and supported faculty to develop new curricular initiatives in general education and interdisciplinary programs related to the environment, including a new minor in Sustainability, Energy, and the Environment (SEE).
At Holy Cross, remodeling of policy and process, curriculum review, expansion of undergraduate research across the curriculum, significant hiring of faculty, and comprehensive faculty development programs occurred under her leadership. In the classroom, Strey developed and taught courses in biochemistry and molecular neurobiology, as well as courses for non-science majors. She also maintained a fully funded research laboratory and worked with undergraduate research students, including a Rhodes Scholar and Fulbright Research, Marshall and Rotary Fellows.
At Central College, a residential, private liberal arts school, Dr. Strey will be charged with accomplishing institutional goals of raising the academic profile, reviewing the study abroad programs, connecting faculty across disciplines, developing the arts with greater emphasis on their contributions to the Central learning community, reworking undergraduate preparation in the health sciences and more. Joining President Putnam and the senior leadership team, she will also oversee a complex portfolio of responsibilities including the academic program and budget, academic appointments, and leadership in the teaching, research and creative activities of the college faculty.
Dr. Strey also has been an active member of national organizations that are important links to Central’s mission, including board member for the Lilly Fellows Program National Network and Wabash Center for Inquiry in the Liberal Arts.
“The Central College community is defined by a commitment to academic excellence in the context of value-based and student-centered liberal education,” said Strey. “I am honored and energized to be joining students and colleagues across campus to begin our work together and am grateful for President Putnam’s commitment to collaborative, transparent leadership. My family and I also look forward to joining the Pella community this summer.”
