S&T announces new leaders in academic affairs

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On January 22, 2025
Debra Bourdeau.

Bourdeau named vice provost of online learning and educational innovation 

Dr. Debra Bourdeau, a longtime academic leader and faculty member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide will become vice provost of online learning and educational innovation at Missouri S&T on Tuesday, April 1.

Bourdeau will lead S&T’s development of online programs, including graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates. Bourdeau will oversee a redesign of online programs, incorporating new technologies and methods into S&T’s offerings. She will also hold a faculty appointment as an associate teaching professor of English and technical communication.

“Dr. Bourdeau’s expertise and leadership in online education will propel our university forward,” says Dr. Colin Potts, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Missouri S&T. “She will strategically direct our growing offerings of online, distance and hybrid educational programs.”

“Bringing Dr. Bourdeau to Missouri S&T supports our efforts to expand online programs and manage them in-house again,” he says. “We believe this renewed focus will help increase our online enrollment and online program offerings.”

Bourdeau joined Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide in 2005 and was promoted to director of academics and associate professor of arts and sciences four years later. She currently serves as associate dean for student success and academics, and associate professor of English. She leads the digital credentialing effort for all three ERAU campuses. While coordinator of the university’s general education program, she developed a “one-university” assessment of general education, the first assessment plan of a shared program spanning three campuses. She developed the “Humanistic STEM” strategic initiative to elevate the humanities among students focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Bourdeau has developed several online courses. In 2020, she presented a webinar about successfully navigating online education to IEEE’s Northern Virginia Section. She served on the committee for the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators conference in 2024.

Bourdeau holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia in Athens, a master’s degree in management from Embry-Riddle and a bachelor’s degree in English from Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Murray named associate provost for teaching and curricular excellence

Susan Murray.

Dr. Susan Murray will become Missouri S&T’s associate provost for teaching and curricular excellence on Tuesday, April 1. In this role, she will direct all initiatives related to improving the quality of the delivery of teaching at S&T, including leading the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE).

“I am grateful for Dr. Murray’s leadership as interim vice provost and look forward to the ways she will advance teaching and curricular excellence at S&T in her new role,” says Dr. Colin Potts, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The depth of her experience and institutional insight as a dedicated faculty member is an invaluable asset to S&T.”

She will work with leaders from academic departments, colleges and student success, plus the Committee for Effective Teaching, to develop and disseminate methods of effective teaching via training and mentoring programs. She will analyze and improve curricular coherence and career relevance for existing and proposed programs and plans. 

Murray is currently interim vice provost for online education, a position she has held since March 2023. A member of the S&T faculty since 1994, Murray served as interim chair, then chair, of psychological science from 2015 until her appointment as acting vice provost and dean of the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development in 2022. She also served on the faculty of the engineering management and systems engineering department. 

An expert on human factors, industrial safety, and engineering education, Murray holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University. She earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Texas-Arlington and Texas A&M, respectively.

The new positions will not represent net growth in the number of senior academic leadership positions. As part of a realignment of responsibilities, the provost will be announcing equivalent reductions in senior leadership positions by March 31.

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On January 22, 2025. Posted in Announcements