Maryville Names Catherine Bear Dean of Education
2/18/14
ST. LOUIS–Maryville University has named Associate Professor of Education Catherine Bear Dean of Maryville’s School of Education after conducting a national search. Her appointment is effective June 1.
Bear will succeed Sam Hausfather, who is retiring after serving as dean for the past eight years.
“We are delighted that Dr. Cathy Bear has accepted the position of dean of the School of Education,” said Mary Ellen Finch, vice president for Academic Affairs. “Dr. Bear has taught a number of courses at Maryville; however, her major focus has been the doctoral program in administration. She is an expert in the area of curriculum and instruction and has served as a resource throughout the University. We cannot be more pleased to have her lead the School of Education into its next iteration.”
Bear has taught at Maryville since 2006. Prior to joining the Maryville faculty, she served in a variety of administration positions, including assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, at the Francis Howell School District.
“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve the Maryville School of Education in the role of dean,” Bear said. “Maryville’s School of Education has a proud history of innovation and excellence founded on a strong sense of moral purpose and commitment to providing the highest quality education possible for all students. Our proudest accomplishment is knowing that so many of our graduates are serving as outstanding classroom teachers, assistant principals, principals and district level leaders across the St. Louis area and beyond. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to build upon this proud tradition and to explore ways we can extend our influence to meet the challenges of the future.”
Bear holds degrees in education from the University of Missouri at St. Louis and Southern Illinois University,at Edwardsville, and earned a doctorate in education administration in 1998 from Saint Louis University.
Last November, she was among 100 area recipients of the prestigious Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.
With colleagues, Bear has implemented the School of Education’s innovative “Street Project” which Finch created. It is a semester-long course where teacher education students explore communities around the Maryville campus to learn how cultural, economic, social and governmental conditions can affect education and a child’s capacity for learning.
Maryville University is a selective, comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of 5,033 students. Maryville offers more than 75 degrees at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels to students from 46 states and 30 countries. Consistently ranked as a top private school by Forbes and Kiplinger’s, in 2012 and 2013, Maryville was named the No. 1 Overperforming University in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Maryville’s athletics teams compete at the Division II level in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Founded in 1872, the University is ideally situated on 130 picturesque acres in West St. Louis County.
Media Contact
Janet Edwards, Editorial Content Specialist, Marketing and Community Relations, 314-529-9347 (office), jedwards@maryville.edu, 314-249-7982 (cell).