Dr. Valerie Banschbach and Dr. Elizabeth Kubek will join the Gustavus Adolphus College community as associate provosts and academic deans beginning this summer, Provost and Dean of the College Dr. Brenda Kelly announced today.
Selected from a strong pool of candidates following a national search, Banschbach and Kubek will provide administrative leadership and support for the College’s 25 academic departments and 12 interdisciplinary programs while working closely with department chairs and the faculty to advance the Gustavus mission and execute the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan. Their work guiding the College’s rigorous and supportive academic environment will include budgetary and hiring responsibilities across all academic programs, oversight of the general education programs, and assessment of institutional student learning outcomes.
“The academic deans play essential roles in the life of the College. Their work in supporting faculty to provide a rigorous academic learning environment is key to the intellectual development of our students,” Kelly said. “The expertise of Dr. Banschbach in the sciences and interdisciplinary programs and Dr. Kubek in the humanities and general education provide a fantastic pairing to support our mission as a liberal arts college.”
Dr. Valerie Banschbach comes to Gustavus from Roanoke College, where she currently serves as professor and chair of the environmental studies program. A celebrated teacher who has developed new course offerings both on-campus and abroad, she is the President-elect of the Association for Environmental Studies and Science and the 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia. Before joining the faculty at Roanoke, Banschbach was the chair of the biology department and founding director of environmental studies at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. She holds a bachelor of arts in biology from Pomona College and a doctorate in biology from the University of Miami.
Dr. Elizabeth Kubek joins the Gustavus community after serving as professor of English language and literature and founding program director of the medical humanities major at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Her diverse experience includes serving as assistant provost for new student learning initiatives, chair of languages and literature, and director of the gender studies major. Recognized as an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar whose work is shaped by literary theory, gender studies, faith, culture, social justice, and medicine, Kubek received her bachelor of arts degree from Clark University and holds masters’ and doctoral degrees in literature from the University of Rochester in New York.
“Drs. Banschbach and Kubek bring an extensive portfolio of leadership experiences in which they fostered collaboration and innovation across departments and programs,” Kelly said. “Their backgrounds will support our already-strong academic program and faculty and provide new energy, experiences, and ideas to support initiatives that align with Gustavus faculty areas of interest, the College mission, and the Gustavus Acts Strategic Plan.”
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