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College Academic Center Directors Take the Reins 

 

This month marks a major development in Principia College’s academic offering—one that places the College at the forefront of the liberal arts and will help further its operational mission, which states in part: “…to cultivate collaborative creative thinkers and doers who are prepared to seek and find healing solutions. We envision a future in which humanity will behold a more fair, peaceful, and abundant world.” 

Beginning this fall semester, the College’s fields of study are housed in five cross-disciplinary Academic Centers, which comprise the hub of students’ academic and social lives. Each Center is being led by one of the College’s dynamic, experienced, and beloved scholars: 

  • Dr. Heidi J. Snow (C’79), Professor of English and Edith and Lewis White Distinguished Professor: Center for Narrative, Meaning, and Media 

  • Dr. Lucia de Paz (US’96, C’00), Associate Professor of Business Administration: Center for Business and Computer Science 

  • Dr. Sally Steindorf (US’93, C’97), Professor of Global Studies: Center for Civic and Global Engagement 

  • Dr. Greg Bruland (C’97), Professor of Biology and Natural Resources: Center for Sustainability, Ecology, and Chemistry 

  • Leah Gallant-McFall (US’89, C’93), Professor of Theatre: Center for the Arts 

The appointment of these Center directors, each of whom brings a wealth of real-world professional experience to inform their teaching, elevates these fields of study and will position graduates for success in their chosen fields. 

Dr. Bruland, Director of the Center for Sustainability, Ecology, and Chemistry, shared his enthusiasm for his Center’s offering. “My colleagues and I have worked diligently for the last two years to develop a dynamic and interdisciplinary academic center based on these disciplines,” he said. “In addition to new faculty and newly redesigned majors, our Center is also home to an exciting and diverse range of co-curricular activities for students such as the Land Stewardship Crew, the Sustainability Club, the Map the System Competition at Oxford University, and Solar Car.” 

Bruland’s colleague, Center for Civic and Global Engagement Director Dr. Sally Steindorf, echoed his co-curricular, whole-person approach: “We’ve put a lot of thought into how all the majors in our Center go together, and how they create a sense of belonging within the Center. Our faculty is working hard to increase students’ engagement—both within our local communities, and globally.” 

Interim Dean of Academics Dr. Peter van Lidth de Jeude, one of the College’s dedicated educators who spent over two years conceiving and creating this structure, expressed his excitement and enthusiasm for the new Centers, and his deep appreciation for the leadership these new Center Directors will provide. “It’s amazing to finally be able to share the fruits of this tremendous labor with our community—students and employees alike—and I am so delighted to be able to work with such amazing Center directors to help guide this newly designed, innovative curriculum that will bless our students, our institution, and the world for years to come.”