Elizabeth Birmingham and Ann Burnett have been named associate deans for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at NDSU, effective Jan 9. Birmingham is associate professor of English, and Burnett is professor of communication and director of the Women and Gender Studies Program at NDSU.
As associate deans, Birmingham and Burnett will be responsible for promoting grant-funded research, supporting faculty professional development and mentoring, and fostering an environment of diversity, equity and inclusivity. They also will lead efforts to strengthen the college’s honors program, enhance general education offerings and recruit and retain talented students.
“Dr. Burnett and Dr. Birmingham were selected as associate deans because they are highly talented and respected scholars, teachers and professional citizens who can serve as models of excellence for our college,” said Kent Sandstrom, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “They both bring strong skills in communication, problem solving and leadership to their new positions. They also have significant interest and experience in mentoring faculty and students. I am pleased that they are willing to serve as administrative leaders for our college, and I look forward to working closely with them.”
Birmingham earned bachelor’s degrees in English and art history from Dominican University, formerly Rosary College, of River Forest, Ill. She earned a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in rhetoric and professional communication from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Before beginning graduate studies, she was a Fulbright Fellow in architectural history at Australian National University, Canberra. Birmingham joined the English department at NDSU in January 2001 as assistant professor. In August 2007, she was promoted to associate professor.
Burnett earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from The Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colo., a master’s degree in communication from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colo., and a doctorate in communication from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. Before joining NDSU’s communication department in 1997, she was assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., and associate professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Burnett was named director of Women and Gender Studies in 2002 and was promoted to professor in 2010.