New Provost and Dean of Faculty Begins
Dr. Catherine Gunther Kodat, Marist's new Provost and Dean of Faculty. Courtesy of Marist College
Marist College named Dr. Catherine (Katie) Gunther Kodat as the new Provost and Dean of Faculty on January 10. In this role, Kodat will lead the vision and strategy for the college's academic portfolio and will serve as the chief academic officer. She will also lead the faculty and student affairs team, helping with academic support and the college’s strategic plan.
“I am honored and thrilled to be selected as Marist’s Provost and Dean of Faculty,” said Dr. Kodat in a Marist press release. “I was attracted to the College in part because of how rapidly this relatively young institution has moved to the forefront of American higher education thanks to its unique blending of the liberal arts, pre-professional education, experiential learning and study abroad.”
Marist conducted a national search for the provost position before settling on Dr. Kodat. She comes to Marist with many years of experience in academia, most recently serving as the Provost and Dean of Faculty at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Prior to Lawrence University, Dr. Kodat spent 17 years on the faculty at Hamilton College, rising to the rank of professor of English and American Studies and later chairing the English and Creative Writing Department.
“Dr. Kodat is a lifelong educator who brings to Marist a unique combination of leadership roles and work experiences in both the liberal arts and pre-professional training,” said President Weinman in a Marist press release.
In addition to her work in higher education in the United States, Dr. Kodat also has experience working for international universities. She worked at the University of Oxford’s Linacre College and as a Fulbright Lecturer at EÖtvÖs Loránd Tudományegyetem in Budapest, Hungary, one of the country’s largest and most prestigious public research universities.
In addition, Dr. Kodat also served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Lewis & Clark College. Similar to her duties at Lawrence University, she led efforts to refine hiring guidelines for faculty searches which led to an increase in the diversity of school faculty members. She also helped adopt more inclusive trainings and a universal design for courses in the humanities, the humanistic social sciences and the natural sciences.
“She has had great success throughout her career partnering closely with faculty and working with her fellow administrators to elevate the institutions she’s been a part of and will be instrumental in helping shape an academic vision at Marist that will accelerate students’ learning outcomes and academic success.”
Prior to entering a career in higher education, Dr. Kodat earned a B.A. in English at the University of Baltimore and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English at Boston University. After graduating, she became a reporter at The Baltimore Sun where she covered housing, community development, policing and LGBTQ+ rights.
In her role as a reporter, she documented many issues of systemic injustice and structural racism firsthand. Her personal experiences in journalism helped spark her devotion to advancing policies and reforms focused on diversity, equity and inclusion throughout her career.
“Marist’s steadfast commitment to helping students realize their potential for creativity, ethical leadership and civic engagement is deeply inspiring,” said Dr. Kodat in a Marist press release. “I am eager to work closely with Marist’s superb faculty to further enhance what is already a distinctively powerful student experience.”
At Marist, Dr. Kodat will lead the vision and strategy for an academic portfolio that includes an innovative curriculum, high-impact practices and experiential learning opportunities. She will officially assume the role of Provost and Dean of Faculty on May 1.