After an internal search, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Rachel Carnell, an accomplished teacher, researcher and leader with deep roots at Cleveland State has been named Interim Dean of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Honors College. I want to thank the members of the search committee for their work.
Dr. Carnell, a professor of English, joined the university in 1994. She brings extensive experience to her new role having served the English Department in a variety of capacities, including as Director of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Graduate Studies. She has also served two terms as Faculty Representative to Cleveland State’s Board of Trustees and has been an officer of the Faculty Senate since 2020.
Dr. Carnell is the recipient of a Distinguished Faculty Award in Scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and is the author and editor of numerous scholarly books and articles. Her scholarly expertise is in 18th-century British literature, with a focus on the political history of the British novel. In recent years, she has also established her credentials as a public intellectual with opinion pieces on the reign of Queen Anne, published in newspapers and online news outlets throughout the country. Her most recent book, "Stewardship and the Future of the Planet: Promise and Paradox," represents the interdisciplinary approach that defines her current research agenda.
The Honors College is a key part of our plans to establish CSU students as leaders in the Northeast Ohio community and I look forward to working with Dr. Carnell to build upon the strong foundation of the college and elevate it to the next level. Please join me in welcoming her to this new role.
I will also take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr. Elizabeth Lehfeldt for her foundational work as the inaugural Dean of the Honors College. I wish her well as she returns to her faculty position in the Department of History.
