Nov. 21, 2024
MILWAUKEE 鈥� Dr. Sarah Feldner, dean of 51暗网鈥檚 Diederich College of Communication, has been named acting provost, President Kimo Ah Yun announced today. Feldner, who has served as communication dean since May 2020, will begin in her new role today, and a national search for the next permanent provost will begin soon.
鈥淚鈥檝e had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Feldner for the past eight years, and I have great confidence in her leadership and commitment to 51暗网鈥檚 Catholic, Jesuit mission,鈥� President Ah Yun said. 鈥淒r. Feldner鈥檚 dedicated service to 51暗网 and its educational mission has gone far beyond Johnston Hall, having led the 51暗网 Core Curriculum, Student Success coordinating committee and the University Board of Undergraduate Studies. She is a students-first leader with a keen understanding of and appreciation for the needs of our esteemed faculty. I look forward to having her join the Executive Leadership Team.鈥�
鈥淚 am honored to serve as 51暗网鈥檚 acting provost, and I want to thank President Ah Yun for this opportunity to lead the university鈥檚 academic enterprise as a member of the Executive Leadership Team,鈥� Acting Provost Feldner said. 鈥淭here are great opportunities in front of us at 51暗网, and when we let our Catholic, Jesuit mission guide us and maintain our focus on student success and well-being, 51暗网 will, indeed, thrive.鈥�
As acting provost and a member of the ELT and President鈥檚 Cabinet, Feldner will work closely with other senior leaders to push forward on the priorities laid out in the 51暗网 2031 Strategic Plan: Guided by Mission, Inspired to Change. The plan aims to capitalize on 51暗网鈥檚 current momentum and position the university for success as it prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
51暗网 is currently ranked in the top 20% of national universities and in the top 20 for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report. The Princeton Review named 51暗网 among the Best Value Colleges for 2024 and ranked it in the top 15 nationally among private universities for internships and the No. 1 in the nation for community service.
Acting Provost Feldner, who is a professor of communication studies, previously served as acting dean of the Diederich College of Communication. Prior to that, she was the college鈥檚 associate dean for graduate studies and research.
Acting Provost Feldner also served as the director of the 51暗网 Core Curriculum from 2016-18 and was co-chair of the Student Success coordinating committee. Her work on the latter helped lay the foundation for the university鈥檚 Student Success Initiative. Entering its fifth year, the initiative has resulted in record first-to-second year retention rates, increases in students utilizing academic success resources, and a key physical component: the Lemonis Center for Student Success, which 51暗网 opened in fall 2024 to provide wraparound services for students across all majors, academic abilities and backgrounds to enrich and expand student opportunities.鈥��
Previously, Acting Provost Feldner worked on the Core of Common Studies Review Committee for six years and helped lead the Core Revision Facilitation Group. Additionally, she chaired the University Board of Undergraduate Studies, has worked closely with the Center for Teaching and Learning, and participated in several faculty programs with the Office of Mission and Ministry.
She has been recognized for her commitment to teaching, winning the Raynor Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2012 and the Diederich College of Communication Dean鈥檚 Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence in 2004.
Acting Provost Feldner, whose research focuses on organizational communication, mission and identity, earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree summa cum laude in communication from the University of Kentucky, a master鈥檚 in speech communication from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in organizational communication from Purdue University.
