Berry named Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences

June 27, 2024

Dr. Stacey Berry has been named Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Dakota State University.

Provost Rebecca Hoey announced the hiring following a nationwide search.

“Stacey has earned the trust of her colleagues through years of service to the University and has demonstrated her leadership and ability to move things forward consistently across diverse roles,” Hoey said.

Berry has dedicated her career to developing opportunities for others, becoming a leader in change management and innovative program development.

She came to DSU in 2010 as a professor in the English program, and has expanded her duties with additional roles as the coordinator of undergraduate research, chair of the Institutional Review Board, and a Fellow in the WICHE Academy for Leaders in the Humanities. She is currently the Associate Dean. To serve as dean was the next logical step, she said.

“What drew me to leadership here is the amazing people I work with, so it was easy to look at the Dean role as an opportunity to have a greater impact,” she stated.

Berry chose to join the faculty at DSU because of the student-centered vision of the institution, its interest in technology, and how those connections position everyone for the future, she stated. “As I look at the future of the College, what motivates me is finding ways that technology and collaboration can inform program change and innovation in our classes and our research.”

Arts & sciences play an important part in the special focus of the institution, she said. As employers increasingly recognize that critical thinking, communication, and creativity are essential in the workplace, Berry says she remains focused on the employability skills of our graduates. She looks to network with employers to develop and maintain workplace connections and to learn what knowledge and skills employers value most.

“I see the great work our students and my fellow faculty members are doing, and I want to elevate it and make it more visible,” she said. “Being an advocate for someone other than myself reminds me how rewarding leadership can be.”