Following a national search, Georgia Tech Provost Gary B. Schuster has announced that Dr. Jacqueline Jones Royster, a professor of English with interests related to rhetorical studies, women's studies and literacy, will be the College's next dean.

In addition to holding the dean's chair, Royster will be a professor in the School of Literature, Communication and Culture. She is expected to start by the fall semester.

"With a proven record of leadership and scholarship, Professor Jacqueline Royster brings a great wealth of academic and administrative experience to the Ivan Allen College," Schuster said. "As one known for fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, she will not only be a strong advocate for the College, but also work with faculty, students and staff to expand its role within Georgia Tech."

During her 18-year tenure at Ohio State, Royster held a series of executive positions. Most recently, she was senior vice provost and executive dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences, serving as chief academic officer and providing leadership for its five arts and sciences colleges from 2004-2008.

"I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to lead an organization as dynamic and respected as the Ivan Allen College," Royster said. "My thanks go to Provost Schuster and the members of the search committee for their faith and confidence in my abilities. I am very excited about the possibilities that lay ahead for me and my new colleagues at Georgia Tech."

In her remarks at a public forum in January, Royster spoke of her philosophical belief in the dual role of higher education, serving both as an agent of stability "" the pursuit of knowledge anchored to strong social and ethical values "" and of change.

"I refer to change in terms of the imperative to provide leadership in bringing all that we know and understand to bear dynamically on our enterprises in order to address the ways forward in supporting, building, and sustaining a world in which peace and prosperity have the possibility of reigning for all," she said. "I believe this obligation is especially true for those of us in the liberal arts."

Royster graduated with her bachelor's degree at Spelman College in Atlanta before earning her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan in 1971 and 1975, respectively. She returned to Spelman in 1978, serving as both a professor of English and an administrator.

During her career, Royster has authored and co-authored numerous articles in rhetorical studies, literacy studies and women's studies. She is the author of several books, including: "Southern Horrors and Other Writings: The Anti-Lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells-Barnett" (1997), "Traces of a Stream: Literacy and Social Change among African American Women" (2000), and "Profiles of Ohio Women, 1803-2003" (2003). She served as co-editor for two collections: "Double-Stitch: Black Women Write about Mothers and Daughters" (1991) and "Calling Cards: Theory and Practice in the Study of Race, Gender, and Culture" (2005).