Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak, Gonzaga University’s dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, will be Bucknell’s next provost. Mermann-Jozwiak’s extensive mix of academic and administrative experience were among the factors that impressed the approximately 90 Bucknell students, faculty and staff with whom she met during the search process.

“There were myriad reasons why I was attracted to this opportunity, including Bucknell’s commitment to academic excellence, the value the community places on an educational experience steeped in the liberal arts, and the University’s ongoing efforts around issues of inclusiveness,” said Mermann-Jozwiak. “The more I engaged with members of the Bucknell community, the more I recognized and appreciated how the values of the institution perfectly align with my own values and experiences.”

A professor of English and women’s & gender studies, Mermann-Jozwiak holds a doctorate in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which she earned after receiving a master’s in English and theology from the University of Cologne in Germany. She joined Gonzaga, in Spokane, Wash., as the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences in 2013. Before that, she was associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Haas Professor of English at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi.

“In addition to her broad and exceptional experience, Elisabeth brings to Bucknell a strong belief in and passion for the transformative power of the type of undergraduate education Bucknell provides its students,” President John Bravman said of her appointment. “Her well-informed perspectives will no doubt add great value to our community and accelerate our forward momentum toward an even stronger Bucknell.”