Professor Melissa J. Glenn officially joined the Knox community on July 1 as provost and dean of the faculty, as well as a tenured professor in the Department of Psychology. Glenn received her bachelor of science degree in psychology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and her master’s and doctorate degrees in experimental psychology from Concordia University. She also held a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University before joining the psychology department at Colby College.

Glenn comes to Knox from Colby College, where she has served as the associate provost for academic programs since 2021, and as professor in the psychology department since 2007. In her role at Knox, She will serve as chief academic officer, responsible for overseeing all academic affairs and operations of the College. 

Why Knox? And why now? 

As I approached the end of my fourth year as an associate provost at Colby College, I knew that I was ready and eager to take the next step into a provost/dean of the faculty position. However, I did not want just any such position as I was first and foremost wholly committed to finding my place at a small, liberal arts, residential college. Interestingly, I myself did not attend this kind of college. Instead, all of my education and training was at large research schools until I took my faculty job at Colby 18 years ago. Over the course of my education, I came to realize that a small liberal arts college was the ideal fit for me and being a teacher-scholar was precisely the kind of work and impact I wanted to do and have. Also, part of my not knowing much about the small liberal arts college model stemmed from being a first-generation to college student living in a rural location in Newfoundland, Canada, where everyone I knew (and me) was heading off to the provincial university. But while there, I met all kinds of people and saw and experienced first-hand the unparalleled opportunity of a college education and the immeasurable value that came from access to one. 

Knox College was extremely appealing to me as a small liberal arts college that upon its founding opened its doors to all. I was also very much attracted to the courage to innovate and the long-standing commitment to inclusion and access that permeated Knox’s materials and webpages. In all my interactions, the Knox community delivered on those fronts and more! I was also deeply impressed by how the Knox faculty were unwavering in their dedication to students and knew that these were the faculty I wanted to serve.

You have a very active teaching and research agenda at Colby. How do you think that work may shape your experience as provost and dean of the faculty?

As provost and dean of the faculty, I will bring the same energy and devotion to serving the faculty that I did to figuring out the best way to educate my students in my classroom and lab and providing them the kinds of opportunities they needed to understand what their next steps might be. Knox students already have amazing opportunities, and I am eager to ensure it continues and to build on what has already been accomplished.

At a time when higher education is under extreme scrutiny with new federal actions being announced almost weekly, how would you describe the benefits of a liberal arts education and a Knox education, in particular?

A liberal arts education is exquisitely positioned to provide students with the tools they need to confront a challenging national landscape marked by misinformation and suspicion, all too common factors that work to divide us. Knox students, like others at small residential colleges, are obtaining broad insights from many areas of study about how knowledge is created and how to evaluate evidence and sources of information. Further, the residential aspect at small colleges teaches students about building and being a part of a community and communicating across differences. It is my firm belief that the particular features of a Knox education—learning by doing, working in community with others, speaking and writing clearly and authentically, to name a few—guides our students towards meaningful work, bridge-building, gratitude, and purpose. These are things all Americans can and should agree on. It’s our job to make sure everyone knows this—our students, their families, our country.

With the growing influence of AI, the call for micro-credentials, three-year degrees, and so on, how do you envision academic programs and offerings potentially developing at Knox?

As I mentioned earlier, I was really drawn to the appetite for innovation that I saw at Knox, and I’m excited and optimistic about what we can do together. Now, more than ever, we need to understand how the workplace is changing and AI is a big part of that. This requires careful and creative attention to how we maintain the liberal arts tradition at our core, while also ensuring that our students are properly equipped to succeed once they leave our campus. I envision an academic program that doesn’t just prepare our students for the world that is out there but positions them to excel and to lead in the places they end up. Using our liberal arts lens with intention as we develop programs and offerings will ensure that our approach to professional preparation stays true to our values and provides a competitive edge to our students.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role at Knox and in Galesburg?

I’m most looking forward to joining the Knox community, getting to know my new faculty and staff colleagues and Knox students, and getting to work!