This article was originally published in the April 2026 print edition of The Bark, distributed at the University of Minnesota Duluth campus.

The search for the new dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences has finally come to an end. Beginning her appointment on June 29, Dr. Anne Stevens will be filling the role.

Finishing out her current position as the dean of Public Affairs and Education at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Dr. Stevens brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with her to the UMD campus.

“I was always really interested in education for the sake of education, that kind of pure learning,” Dr. Stevens said.

Following her youth in St. Paul, Stevens studied English at the University of Chicago. She moved on to work in PR for a record label before going back to school to receive a PhD in English at New York University, specializing in 18th century literature.

“Ever since I was three years old, I started reading and was a very voracious reader,” Dr. Stevens said.

After her time in grad school, she ended up working in academic publishing at the University of Chicago Press. Just a couple years later, she landed a teaching position at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

During her 17 years at UNLV, Dr. Stevens took on various leadership roles, becoming a graduate coordinator and eventually a department chair.

“I found I really liked helping to allow other people and programs to succeed,” Dr. Stevens said.

When first stepping onto UMD’s campus back in March, Dr. Stevens loved how welcoming and friendly the community was. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Stevens is excited to join the vibrancy of the University of Minnesota system.

“I’m really looking forward to joining UMD in a kind of similar role, serving as dean,” Stevens said.

One aspect of the UMD campus that appealed to Stevens — as a longtime skater — is the RSOP ice rink.

“I’m planning to bring my skates to the office and do a little lunchtime skating when possible. I love ice and I love skating at the arena when I can,” Dr. Stevens said.

Becoming the dean of CAHSS is more than just a title and position, it's about serving not only your students and faculty, but meeting them where they are and helping them grow. Dr. Stevens emphasized the importance of liberal arts in a well rounded education.

“Grammar, logic, and rhetoric, those things are really central to understanding language, understanding how to think, and understanding how to persuade and argue,” Dr. Stevens said.

She acknowledged that CAHSS is already in a good place and wants to strengthen what is already there. This means making small adjustments with policies, creating consistency across departments in terms of expectations and workload. Her plan is to support what is already underway, trying not to impose, but rather build and grow upon the goals of the college.

Part of her plan involves helping implement more internships and communicating with local partners to provide more opportunities across all majors. With the job market constantly changing, students sometimes can find it hard to break their way into the workforce. Dr. Stevens says that being able to have those direct lines of communication helps understand what people and businesses are looking for.

“They really are just looking for people who are smart, who can think, and who can work well in an organization,” Stevens said.

With changes coming, Dr. Stevens wants to ensure open communication with her college department chairs. With the diverse set of programs CAHSS has to offer, she also hopes to hear and work with people in smaller and individual groups to make sure every voice is heard.

“I think it's really important to involve chairs in particular because they're the ones who were elected to represent their units, their departments, and really have them be very much collaborative in terms of shaping policies and decision making,” Stevens said.

Not only do the voices of the faculty have an impact, but the students play an even bigger role in the happenings of their own education, according to Dr. Stevens. She plans on having open office hours and attending events to meet and hear what students have to say.

Dr. Stevens is committed to making a positive impact on the already flourishing College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and is prepared to welcome students this fall.

The CAHSS of Tomorrow: Dr. Anne Stevens