The University of Minnesota announced in an email College of Liberal Arts (CLA) history professor Ann Waltner has been selected as the interim dean for CLA on Tuesday morning. 

The decision follows the resignation of former CLA dean John Coleman, who announced in April his plan to leave the University to become Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Waltner will serve as interim-dean starting on July 3 and “will work productively with Dean Coleman to ensure a smooth transition,” according to the email. 

She will also, according to the email sent just to CLA students, provide “collaborative leadership that will be invaluable” as the University prepares to launch a national search in early fall in hopes of having a new permanent dean in place by fall 2024.

Waltner has served as CLA Associate Dean, Chair of the Department of History, Chair of the Council of Chairs and founding Director of the Institute of Advanced Study, demonstrating her “extensive administrative experience in CLA and at the University level.”

Specializing in Chinese history, Waltner has made several contributions to the University and the history department, like creating an open access online course on Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese novel from the 18th century.