AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has named Ann Huff Stevens the next dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Her appointment will begin July 15, 2019.
Stevens comes to UT Austin from the University of California, Davis, and is a Texas native with roots in Corpus Christi. She is a widely respected and distinguished scholar and professor of economics who has served in a variety of leadership roles, including chair of the Department of Economics, chair of the Economics Graduate Program, interim dean of the Graduate School of Management, and founding director of the Center for Poverty Research.
Her scholarship focuses on issues related to poverty, workers and labor markets, and the effects of job loss. Through the Center for Poverty Research, she led campus-wide interdisciplinary efforts pursuing research on poverty in the U.S. and providing training and mentorship to graduate and undergraduate students.
“The College of Liberal Arts has long been distinguished by the excellence of its research and breadth of scholarly impact. Ann’s career as a leading economist who has built broad interdisciplinary teams, combined with her varied positions in academic leadership make her an ideal dean,” said Maurie McInnis, executive vice president and provost. “She also cares deeply about developing the next generation of thought leaders and supporting all students as they pursue their goals.”
As the founding director of the Center for Poverty Research, Stevens created an interdisciplinary organization that included more than 50 faculty members from across UC Davis. During her tenure as interim dean, she led efforts to improve communication and transparency and worked with the faculty to create new, innovative academic programs. She successfully maintained high levels of teaching and research excellence as department chair while enrollments increased and led many efforts to better support faculty and student initiatives. She was also appointed to lead a study group at UC Davis on access and affordability, facilitating campus-wide discussions and providing final recommendations to campus leaders.
“I am incredibly excited about coming to UT Austin and back to my home state of Texas. After working at some great institutions of higher education, it is truly an honor to join the College of Liberal Arts. I have always admired the breadth and depth of the scholarship and research in the liberal arts at UT, and the impact they have on students, the state and beyond,” said Stevens.
Stevens earned an undergraduate degree from American University and a doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan. Prior to her work at UC Davis, she served as a faculty member at Rutgers University and Yale University.
Stevens will succeed Randy Diehl, who has served in his current role as dean since 2007. Diehl’s career at UT Austin spans four decades and has made significant contributions to the college and university communities in a variety of roles and capacities.
With more than 500 faculty members, including Guggenheim and MacArthur fellows and members of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts is home to No. 1 programs in Latin American history and population studies. More than 10,000 students combine rigorous scholarship with experiential learning in over 50 majors, 22 academic departments and more than 30 centers, institutes and programs. In every discipline the college community emphasizes the importance of understanding history, society and culture to help students succeed and better understand and thrive in the world.
