Brian White Named Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for Graceland University

Graceland University is pleased to announce that Dr. Brian White will be appointed dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, effective June 1, 2015. White graduated from Graceland in 1992 and then continued his education by earning a master’s degree in English from Utah State University and a PhD in English from the University of North Dakota. He has served as Division Chair of Humanities at Graceland for four years, and is an excellent choice to continue Graceland’s commitment to its three core values: learning, wholeness and community.

The search for the dean of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) was a long and thorough process with Dr. Dan Pratt and Dr. Katie Bash serving as chairs. CLAS includes nearly half of the Graceland enrollment, and with four extremely well qualified candidates, the decision was very difficult.

Vice President of Academics, Tammy Everett, stated, “We were fortunate to have such qualified and talented candidates. Brian will bring a fresh influence as dean to this central position within the university. I look forward to working with him as dean of CLAS. Brian’s experience and dedication to Graceland, proven through multiple leadership roles, will help us move closer to achieving our mission of student success.”

In his acceptance, White stated, “I have had the great fortune to work with so many talented and impressive colleagues within CLAS, and I will be deeply honored to continue working with them as their dean. The liberal arts and sciences are the core of Graceland’s tradition, the framework for Graceland’s mission, and the springboard for our students’ future successes. It will be exciting to help carry that vision forward.”

Dr. Steven L. Anders, Dean of the C.H. Sandage School of Business has served as an interim dean of the CLAS since June 2013. His flexibility and willingness to serve as interim dean of CLAS in addition to his other responsibilities has been greatly appreciated.