Karen Ford, divisional dean for humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences, will serve in a dual role for the next year after accepting the interim deanship in the Clark Honors College.

“This is an exciting time for our honors college,” wrote Jayanth Banavar, provost and senior vice president, in an announcement to campus. “With our goal of nurturing brilliant young minds, it is important that we have a leader who will not only keep us on our course, but also achieve even greater success in the future. I believe that Karen is that person.”

Ford has served in many leadership roles at the UO: associate dean, department head in English and director of the creative writing program. She received a bachelor of arts in English from California State University, Sacramento, a master’s in English from the University of California, Davis, and a doctorate in English from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

She is the recipient of an American Council of Learned Societies yearlong fellowship, a National Endowment for Humanities summer stipend, and three UO teaching awards: the Ersted Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Herman Faculty Achievement Award and a Williams Fellowship.  Last year, she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.

“I have asked Karen to work closely with Terry Hunt, as he transitions from his deanship here to his new position at the University of Arizona,” Banavar noted. “Karen’s appointment will begin in mid-August.  We will launch a search for the Deanship of the Honors College soon.”

Ford will continue her duties in the College of Arts and Sciences during the one-year appointment.

The full memo is available on the provost's website.

—By Tobin J. Klinger, University Communications