New Dean, Libraries and School of Information Studies

To:  Executive Vice Presidents, Chancellors, Vice Presidents, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts, Deans, Directors, and Heads of Schools, Divisions, Departments and Offices

From: Jay Akridge, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity

Date:  March 27, 2019

Re:  New Dean, Libraries and School of Information Studies

I am pleased to inform you that Beth McNeil will be returning to Purdue to become dean of the Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, effective July 1. Beth brings an impressive record of leadership excellence in library and information science to this important position.

In her current role, Beth is dean of library services and professor at Iowa State University. Prior to that, she served as Purdue’s associate dean for academic affairs and professor of Purdue University Libraries. Her knowledge of the Purdue Libraries organization and our entire campus will be an enormous benefit as we continue to develop an integrated, campus-wide data science education ecosystem.

Prior to her initial appointment at Purdue, Beth spent more than 10 years as an assistant and then associate dean of libraries for the University of Nebraska. She also held positions in the libraries at Bradley University and the University of Illinois.

Beth earned a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in library and information science, both from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska.

I want to thank all of the members of the search advisory committee, chaired by David Reingold, the Justin S. Morrill Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, for their excellent work.

Please join me in welcoming Beth McNeil back to the Boilermaker family!