Patricia O’Connell Killen named acting provost
June 08, 2006
Patricia O’Connell Killen, professor of religion, was appointed as acting provost and dean of graduate studies for the upcoming academic year.
Killen’s appointment was announced at a reception in the Scandinavian Cultural Center on June 6 and in an e-mail to the campus community on June 7. Her appointment takes effect on Aug. 1 when the current provost, James Pence, steps down.
After Pence announced his resignation in early May, President Loren Anderson consulted with the deans and current and former faculty chairs to determine the best person to fill the role, he said. He received a long and distinguished list of names, but ultimately, it came down to who heard the call to serve, he said.
“Patricia O’Connell Killen heard the call louder than others,” Anderson said.
Killen joined PLU in 1989. During her tenure, she has earned the respect of her colleagues for her outstanding scholarly accomplishments and keen administrative leadership, Anderson said.
“I am confident that she will continue to serve with distinction in this latest call to university service,” Anderson said in the letter.
Killen said it will be a privilege to serve her colleagues as acting provost. In the position, she will work to create a more vibrant and visual academic community, and strengthen the academic culture by encouraging faculty and staff development and interdisciplinary collaboration. She wants to continue to develop the academic culture around PLU 2010, the university’s long-range plan, and asked for input and suggestions from her colleagues.
Killen thanked her colleagues in the religion department and on the Wild Hope project for absorbing the extra work her absence will create and making it possible for her to accept the position. She is currently slated to teach one class during the fall semester, but that could change as details of the position are solidified over the summer, she said.
Killen’s skill as a teacher is recognized nationally, especially in her work with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, where she leads workshops and colloquies for faculty from the United States and Canada. Her scholarly work is in the field of American religious history, and she is widely published in scholarly journals.
Her latest book, the co-edited “Religion and Public Life in the Pacific Northwest: The None Zone,” explores the configuration of religion in the region and its influence in public life. Killen has also authored the award-winning book “Finding Our Voices: Women, Wisdom and Faith” and co-authored the award-winning book “The Art of Theological Reflection.”
Since 2003, Killen has served as chair of the Department of Religion, a post she also held from 1992 to 1995. Currently, she co-directs the Wild Hope Project, while also directing the Center for Religion, Cultures, and Society in the Western United States.
While at PLU, she has been faculty chair, rank and tenure chair, Center for Teaching and Learning policy committee chair, and a contributing writer to PLU 2010. Among her many professional affiliations, Killen has been active in the American Academy of Religion, serving as president of the Pacific Northwest Region in 2000 and on the board of the Academy from 1991-1995.
“Patricia’s remarkable record as a teacher, scholar and educational leader has prepared her well for the acting provost position,” Anderson said in the letter.
After Pence announced his resignation in early May, President Loren Anderson consulted with the deans and current and former faculty chairs to determine the best person to fill the role, he said. He received a long and distinguished list of names, but ultimately, it came down to who heard the call to serve, he said.
“Patricia O’Connell Killen heard the call louder than others,” Anderson said.
Killen joined PLU in 1989. During her tenure, she has earned the respect of her colleagues for her outstanding scholarly accomplishments and keen administrative leadership, Anderson said.
“I am confident that she will continue to serve with distinction in this latest call to university service,” Anderson said in the letter.
Killen said it will be a privilege to serve her colleagues as acting provost. In the position, she will work to create a more vibrant and visual academic community, and strengthen the academic culture by encouraging faculty and staff development and interdisciplinary collaboration. She wants to continue to develop the academic culture around PLU 2010, the university’s long-range plan, and asked for input and suggestions from her colleagues.
Killen thanked her colleagues in the religion department and on the Wild Hope project for absorbing the extra work her absence will create and making it possible for her to accept the position. She is currently slated to teach one class during the fall semester, but that could change as details of the position are solidified over the summer, she said.
Killen’s skill as a teacher is recognized nationally, especially in her work with the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion, where she leads workshops and colloquies for faculty from the United States and Canada. Her scholarly work is in the field of American religious history, and she is widely published in scholarly journals.
Her latest book, the co-edited “Religion and Public Life in the Pacific Northwest: The None Zone,” explores the configuration of religion in the region and its influence in public life. Killen has also authored the award-winning book “Finding Our Voices: Women, Wisdom and Faith” and co-authored the award-winning book “The Art of Theological Reflection.”
Since 2003, Killen has served as chair of the Department of Religion, a post she also held from 1992 to 1995. Currently, she co-directs the Wild Hope Project, while also directing the Center for Religion, Cultures, and Society in the Western United States.
While at PLU, she has been faculty chair, rank and tenure chair, Center for Teaching and Learning policy committee chair, and a contributing writer to PLU 2010. Among her many professional affiliations, Killen has been active in the American Academy of Religion, serving as president of the Pacific Northwest Region in 2000 and on the board of the Academy from 1991-1995.
“Patricia’s remarkable record as a teacher, scholar and educational leader has prepared her well for the acting provost position,” Anderson said in the letter.