CAS CONNECT 2019

Getting Closer to Campus New CAS dean Glen Krutz sees opportunities in classes, research and more G len Krutz wasn’t looking for a job when he heard about OSU’s search for a new dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. “It is rare for large college dean positions to come open at major universities,” said Krutz, then the University of Oklahoma’s senior vice provost. “I talked to some people whose opinions I respect, and they thought it would be a good fit. When I came to Stillwater, I really liked the vibe. I liked the hard questions the hiring committee asked and what they said about OSU. It was a delightful exchange during an interview that would normally be stressful, not fun.” The new dean of CAS enjoys both teaching and research. He was drawn to the opportunity to get “closer to the action” going on in classrooms and research facilities that comes with the position. “I am also looking forward to building relationships with faculty, staff, students and alumni,” Krutz said. “In fact, I’ll need to be in contact with all of those groups regularly to be a good dean.” His path to a career in higher administration began at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he completed a degree in political science and speech communication in 1990. He was named the outstanding senior of his graduating class at Nevada, which, like OSU, is a land-grant institution. Because he was considering a career in politics, his first job after graduation was as a U.S. Senate staffer for Nevada’s Richard H. Bryan from 1990-1991. “I really likedWashington, D.C.,” Krutz said. “It’s a beautiful city that should make all Americans proud. And I would say that over 90 percent of the people I worked with were good people who wanted to do the right thing for the country. I always say that good-hearted people with a servant’s ethic should consider going into politics. But when you work in the Beltway, you figure out pretty quickly whether that’s the career you want. I knewwithin 10 months that I loved D.C., but I didn’t want to be a lifer.” Krutz returned to Nevada to work in what is now the Nevada System of Higher Education from 1991-94. He also completed his master’s degree in public administration and policy at Nevada in 1993. His thesis was awarded high distinction. Then he moved on to Texas A&MUniversity, another land-grant institution. There, he earned a doctorate in political science, with specializations in American politics, public policy and administration, and quantitative methods in 1999. He won the GeorgeW. Kunze Prize as the top graduating Ph.D. across the campus, and his dissertation, Explaining Institutional Change: The Rise and Impact of Omnibus Legislating , won “A strong CAS leadership team is so important, and I’m fortunate to have such an outstanding group there. They will be major assets as we set out to increase student success and the impact of our stellar faculty as both teachers and researchers.” OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SC I ENCES 5