Scott Pratt named dean of the Graduate School

The provost announced today that Scott L. Pratt, professor of philosophy, will become the new dean of the UO Graduate School. 

As Acting Provost Frances Bronet communicated at the beginning of the search process, the position was proposed as an independent deanship reporting to the senior vice president and provost.  

Pratt will be responsible for shaping, energizing and fostering excellence, innovation and inclusivity in graduate education at the UO.  The dean serves as an advocate for graduate students and will craft and execute a vision to build excellent degree programs in which students can pursue path-breaking research, scholarship and professional skills, and receive training to develop careers. 

“Scott has been at the UO for two decades and brings a wealth of experience to the position of dean of the Graduate School,” Bronet said. “He has proven skills of creativity, vision and innovation that will guide the Graduate School at UO. He will be a key leader as we build our strategic plan around elevating the impact of research, scholarship, creative inquiry and graduate education.”

Pratt has been the director of graduate studies in the philosophy department since 2012 and has served as department head, associate dean of the humanities and director of undergraduate studies for the philosophy department during his 20-year career at the UO. He has published seven books and dozens of articles and received a Williams Fellowship for Outstanding University Teaching.  He is also editor for the Transactions of the C. S. Peirce Society, a leading journal in American Philosophy.

“I look forward to working with the faculty across the disciplines, schools and colleges to develop a vision of graduate education that advances the university’s mission as a public research university and a member of the Association of American Universities,” Pratt said. “And I am eager to work with our graduate students to ensure that they receive the support necessary to be successful students and to become the next generation of leaders in science, scholarship, teaching, business, journalism, the arts and the work of making the world a better place.” 

Bronet thanked the search committee, led by Margie Paris as the chair, for their efforts to recommend candidates to provide creative, ambitious leadership and effective management.

The committee included: Lara Bovilsky, English; John Chalmers, finance; Victoria J. De Rose, chemistry/biochemistry; Brigid Flannery, education; Leonardo Garcia-Pabon, romance languages; Kellie Geldreich, graduate school; Lillie Manis, music; Jenny Mendoza, psychology; Margie Paris, law; Elizabeth Stormshak, research and education; Mark Watson, University Libraries; Frances White, anthropology; and Yuan Xu, mathematics, with staff support from Kathy Warden, Academic Affairs.

Pratt will begin as dean March 30.

—By Julie Brown, Public Affairs Communications