New Arts and Sciences Dean Confident at Ue

By MARK WILSON, Courier & Press staff writer 464-7417 or wilsonm@courierpress.com

Susan Calovini, the new dean of the University of Evansville’s College of Arts and Sciences, always loved writing, but she gave up her journalism career for the academic world when she realized how much she also enjoyed reading and literature.

Teaching, she said, brought together both of those loves.

The Ohio native came to Evansville from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where she was the interim dean of its College of Science and Mathematics. Prior to that, she taught English there and chaired the university’s department of language and literature. She has doctoral and master’s degrees from Ohio State University and a journalism degree from Ohio University. She replaces Jean Beckman, who returned to her first love of teaching chemistry.

Calovini said she applied for the position partly because it was the direction she wanted to take her career and partly because of the University of Evansville’s academic reputation.

“It has a reputation outside of Evansville, and that reputation is very good,” she said.

Calovini oversees 120 faculty members in 15 departments with 47 major disciplines in fine and performing arts, humanities, social sciences and natural and mathematical sciences.

“It feels so comfortable to come here. I felt an almost instant connection,” she said.

She recalled meeting some students while visiting the campus during her interview process.

“Their only complaint was that there were too many activities. There was too much to do,” she said. “I thought if that was all they had to complain about that this was a good place to come.”

Evansville is Calovini’s “new favorite Midwestern city.”

“I’m very impressed with the cultural offerings here,” she said.

In addition to enjoying Evansville’s cultural activities, she and her husband, Paul, are renovating a house near UE’s campus.

Calovini is excited by several initiatives at the university and within the College of Arts and Sciences.

“We are starting a Science Advisory Council in October to involve people from the community and businesses to help with internships, funding and keeping our academic programs on target,” she said.

She is also participating in the university’s General Education Steering Committee, reviewing the school’s core curriculum of classes that all students are required to take, and is looking for ways to keep them current and exciting for students.

Calovini enjoys the job because it gives her an opportunity to work with the big picture of education and the nuts and bolts of academic life.

“I like people. I care about them and I want to work with them and help them,” she said.

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