Striegel to Assume Position of Provost, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ruth Striegel, professor of psychology and the Walter A. Crowell University Professor of the Social Sciences, will assume the position of Wesleyan’s next provost and vice president for academic affairs. She will start in this position on July 1, succeeding Rob Rosenthal, who will be returning to the faculty as John E. Andrus Professor of Sociology.

Striegel holds a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of South Carolina. She is a distinguished scholar-teacher whose research has focused on understanding the causes and effects of eating and weight disorders, and particularly on using insights gained from large-scale studies to alleviate individual suffering. Her work embodies the Wesleyan ideal of using liberal learning to make a positive difference in the world.

Her research has been generously funded by a number of government and private sources, and her findings are frequently cited in major media outlets. Professor Striegel has edited three books and published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She is the past president of two professional associations devoted to eating disorders and has won several awards for her teaching and research. This month she became editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. She also is widely known in her field as a dedicated mentor.

She has worked with trustees, faculty and students in many capacities: as former chair of the faculty and of the Psychology Department, as a member of the presidential search committee, and as a member of numerous task forces and standing committees. In addition, she served as an ACE Fellow at Mount Holyoke College, working with then-President Joanne V. Creighton on strategic planning.

“Ruth Striegel has a deep understanding of Wesleyan’s ideals and culture, and I look forward to working with her in her new role as provost,” said Wesleyan President Michael Roth in an all-campus email on Jan. 24. “Please join me in congratulating her.”