April 07, 2014

Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell appointed interim CAS dean

Associate Professor of Psychology Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell has been appointed by President Barry Glassner to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell, associate professor of psychology, a faculty leader, and a nationally acclaimed teacher, has been appointed by President Barry Glassner to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Detweiler-Bedell, winner of the Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges United States Professor of the Year Award in 2008 from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, will serve for one year beginning July 1. She will succeed Dean Tuajuanda Jordan, who has been named the new president of St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

“Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell is widely respected as an outstanding teacher, scholar, and contributor to our community,” President Glassner said. “Her experience, skill, and commitment make her the ideal person to lead the CAS during this transition year and to continue the College’s forward momentum. I am so pleased she has agreed to take on this role, and I have every confidence she will succeed in it.”

A Stanford University graduate with a PhD from Yale, Detweiler-Bedell has been at Lewis & Clark since 2001. Her teaching in courses such as clinical psychology, health psychology, and community psychology has won praise from her students and colleagues. She has co-authored two books, and her research, on subjects including message framing to promote healthy behavior, has been published widely in prominent journals such as American Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Review, and Health Psychology.

In addition to her outstanding teaching and research, Detweiler-Bedell has chaired and served on numerous College committees. Among other roles, she has served as chair of the Curriculum Committee, clerk of the faculty, faculty representative to the Board of Trustees, chair of the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid, and distinguished teaching consultant.