Katherine Frank is the new dean of the Indiana University East School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Frank, who also is a professor of English, began her duties as dean on July 11.

Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Larry Richards said Dean Frank brings a wealth of experience, energy and enthusiasm to this position.

“Her administrative experience combined with a stellar record of teaching and scholarship makes her uniquely qualified, and I welcome her to this important position,” Richards said.

As dean, Frank will have administrative responsibility for all aspects of the school, including faculty recruitment, development and evaluation; program development, assessment and improvement; student recruitment and success; budget management and fundraising; and other matters related to the continuing well-being of the school and its faculty, staff and students.

In addition to her duties as dean, Frank will instruct undergraduate and graduate courses in general literature, composition, writing and literary theory, and Romantic, Victorian, and Modern literature.

Frank said she is thrilled to be at IU East. She added she is looking forward to getting to know the Richmond area and becoming involved in community work.

“The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of outstanding faculty; it’s a vibrant school that has already accomplished great things and has nothing but wonderful promise ahead,” Frank said. “I look forward to learning from my colleagues across the Indiana University system and from the creative, dedicated students from IU East.”

Frank received her Bachelor of Arts in English with highest honors from Bates College and her Master of Arts and Ph.D., both in English, from the University of Washington.

Frank was formerly the chairperson of English and Foreign Languages at Colorado State University – Pueblo where she also served as the president of the Faculty Senate and an associate professor of English. Frank served in several positions while at the university from 2001 to the present. She was previously the university’s director of the Southern Colorado Writing Project; director of writing; program coordinator for the Senior-to-Sophomore Dual-Credit Program in English; and director of The FOCUS Program, Colorado State University’s First-Year Experience Program.

Before joining the faculty at Colorado State University, Frank was a professional development consultant for the Center for Instructional Development and Research at the University of Washington. She previously served the campus as the assistant director of writing. Frank was also a teaching assistant at the university while she worked on her doctorate degree.