Richard Utz has been named chair of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts School of Literature, Communication, and Culture.  The appointment follows a national search. Utz will assume the position August 1.

An experienced administrator, Dr. Utz recently completed a four-year term as Chair of the Department of English at Western Michigan University.  During his career in Europe and the United States he has served in a wide variety of leadership positions in the areas of Graduate Study, Tenure and Promotion, Assessment, Scholarly Communication, and Strategic Planning.

Dr. Utz is an established interdisciplinary scholar of medieval culture and its reception in postmedieval times.  His work spans literature, philology, philosophy and the history of humanistic inquiry.

"Dr. Utz's is noted for distinguished accomplishments in the types of intellectual cross-fertilizations that are the cornerstone of our School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, with his expertise in the cultural construction of knowledge in science and technology bringing a particular strength to our programs," said Jacqueline J. Royster, Dean of Ivan Allen College.  

“I see my new position in LCC as a unique opportunity to bridge the allegedly sempiternal chasm between science and technology on the one hand and humanistic inquiry on the other,” said Dr. Utz. “My goal as a scholar, teacher, and administrator is to further innovate interdisciplinary collaboration among specialists from traditionally separate disciplines, which in my view, is the only promising way to solve the complex social and cultural problems of the future. GT, IAC, and LCC’s strategic mission to support such creative collaborative work is what attracted me to join this distinguished institution.”

Dr. Utz has published widely in English and German.  He has authored two books, co-edited 17 essay collections, and published 27 journal articles, 21 book chapters, nine articles in conference proceedings, and 50 scholarly reviews. He also serves on editorial advisory boards for journals and book series in Australia, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, and the United States.  

Dr. Utz earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. from University of Regensburg, Germany.  He has broad teaching experience in literature and the humanities at undergraduate and graduate levels, has been recognized at the college, university, and state level for excellence in scholarship and teaching, and currently serves as the President of the International Society for the Study of Medievalism.