Arts & Letters appoints new leaders in departments, programs, centers, and institutes

The College of Arts & Letters Office of the Dean has appointed several new leaders in the College and across its departments, centers, and institutes. Their terms begin July 1, 2026, unless otherwise noted.

College

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Jeff Speaks, the George N. Shuster Professor of Philosophy, has been appointed to a five-year term as the College’s associate dean for the humanities and faculty development. He previously served as chair of the Department of Philosophy from 2016-22.

Speaks succeeds Ernest Morrell, the Coyle Professor of Literacy Education, who passed away in February.

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Alison Rice, the Dr. William M. Scholl College Professor of French and Francophone Studies, will serve a five-year term as the College’s associate dean for undergraduate studies. She has served as chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures since 2019.

Rice succeeds economics teaching professor Mary Flannery, who retired at the end of the 2025-26 academic year after 14 years at the University.

Departments

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William C. Mattison, the Wilsey College Professor of Theology, has been appointed to a three-year term as chair of the Department of Theology. A scholar of moral theology and Christian ethics, Mattison serves as the faculty director of the Moreau First Year Experience.

He succeeds Fr. Khaled Anatolios, the John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology, who led the department as it ranked best in the world for two consecutive years.

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Professor Ying ‘Alison’ Cheng has been appointed to a three-year term as the chair of the Department of Psychology. A quantitative psychologist, Cheng directs the Learning Analytics and Measurement in Behavioral Lab and is a fellow with the Institute for Educational Initiatives.

She succeeds James Brockmole, who served as department chair since 2023 and previously was the associate dean for research and strategic initiatives and director of the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts from 2020-23. Brockmole will become the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Baylor University on July 1.

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Darren Dochuk, the Andrew V. Tackes College Professor of History, has been appointed to a three-year term as chair of the Department of History. A scholar of 20th-century American history focusing on religion and politics, Dochuk previously served as the William W. and Anna Jean Cushwa Co-director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism with associate professor David Lantigua. Lantigua will now solely direct Cushwa.

Dochuk succeeds Elisabeth Köll, the William Payden Collegiate Professor of History, who has led the department since 2020.

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John Liberatore, associate professor of music composition and theory, has been appointed to a three-year term as chair of the Department of Music. A composer and pianist, Liberatore is also a faculty fellow with Sacred Music at Notre Dame and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. He also served as the director of undergraduate studies for the music department in 2025-26.

Liberatore succeeds Berthold Hoeckner, the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Music History, who has led the department since 2021.

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Professor Emilia Justyna Powell has been appointed to a three-year term as the chair of the Department of Political Science. An international relations scholar, Powell is also a concurrent professor of law.

She succeeds Geoffrey Layman, the Joseph and Elizabeth Robbie Professor of Political Science, who served as department chair since 2021.

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Marisel Moreno, professor of Spanish, has been appointed to a three-year term as the chair of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Her research focuses on Latino/a/x literature, Hispanic Caribbean literature, and gender, race, and ethnicity.

Moreno succeeds Alison Rice.

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Anne García-Romero, professor of theatre, has been appointed to a three-year term as chair of the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre. A playwright, screenwriter, translator, and theatre studies scholar, García-Romero’s plays include Paloma, Dolorosa, Staging the Daffy Dame, Lorca in New York, Juanita's Statue, Mary Domingo, Mary Peabody in Cuba, Juanita’s Statue, Earthquake Chica, and Santa Concepción.

García-Romero succeeds Pamela Robertson Wojcik, the Andrew V. Tackes Professor of Film, Television, and Theatre, who served as department chair since 2020.

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William Donahue, the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Professor of the Humanities, will serve as interim chair of the Department of German, Slavic, and Eurasian Studies while Tobias Boes, professor of German and Russian languages and literature, is on leave.

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Dianne Pinderhughes, the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Professor of Africana Studies and Political Science, will serve as interim chair for the Department of Africana Studies while professor Mark Sanders is on leave.

Institutes, centers, and programs

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Aron Barbey, the Andrew J. McKenna Family Professor of Psychology, has been appointed director of the Human Neuroimaging Center. A clinical neuroscientist, Barbey will lead the center that is co-located with the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic on Hill Street in South Bend.

Richard Clark, an associate professor of political science, has been appointed director of the Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society. A Notre Dame alumnus who majored in political science and IT management, Clark is the author of Cooperative Complexity: The Next Level of Global Economic Governance.

Clark succeeds Paul Blaschko, assistant teaching professor of philosophy, who directed the program for the past four years.

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Eun-Young ‘Julia’ Kim, an associate teaching professor, has been appointed to a three-year term as the director of the Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures. Kim previously coordinated the English for Academic Purposes program within the CSLC.

Kim succeeds Alessia Blad-Miller, teaching professor of Italian, who retired at the end of the academic year. Blad led the CSLC for six years as its director and has taught at Notre Dame since 1999.

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CJ Jones, a professor of German studies, will become the Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute. Appointed last year, Jones was on leave in 2025-26, during which time Jeff Wickes, an associate professor of theology, served as the institute’s acting director.

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Michael Desch, the Packey J. Dee Professor of Political Science, will return as the Brian and Jeannelle Brady Family Director of the O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center after being on leave. Ian Johnson, the P.J. Moran Family Associate Professor of Military History, served as acting director.

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Kola Olawabi, professor of organ, will serve as acting director of Sacred Music at Notre Dame while Rebecca Maloy, the J.W. Van Gorkom Professor of Music and director of the program, is on leave.

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Rebecca Tinio McKenna, associate professor of history, and James Lang, professor of the practice with Notre Dame Learning’s Kanab Center for Teaching Excellence, will each serve a three-year term as co-directors of the First-Year University Seminar.

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Maria McKenna, professor of the practice in Africana studies and the Education, Schooling, and Society program, will serve a one-year term as director of the College Seminar.

Originally published by Mary Kinney at al.nd.edu on June 18, 2026.