TULSA, Oklahoma – The University of Tulsa today announced the selection of Blaine Greteman, Ph.D., as the new dean of TU’s historic Kendall College of Arts & Sciences. Greteman currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of English at the University of Iowa, where he began his academic career in 2009. He will begin his duties July 1, 2024.
Greteman earned his doctorate in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley in 2008. A Rhodes Scholar, Greteman received his master’s in English literature from Oxford after receiving his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Oklahoma State University in 1998. He was OSU’s first Rhodes Scholar.
“As a native Oklahoman, it’s long been important to me that we have a world-class university in Tulsa, and I feel privileged to be a part of it,” said Greteman. “I’ve spent my career advocating for the liberal arts and sciences, and The University of Tulsa has been proving its value for over 125 years, when it was first known as ‘Kendall College.’”
Greteman’s research focuses on early modern book history, poetry, and drama, including Milton and Shakespeare. He has authored two books: “The Poetics and Politics of Youth in Milton’s England” and “Networking Print in Shakespeare’s England.”
“The University of Tulsa has nearly 130 years of tradition as an academic powerhouse that provides every student with a solid foundation in the arts and humanities,” said University of Tulsa Provost George Justice. “Blaine fully grasps TU’s goal to honor that legacy by giving students – regardless of major – a complete education, which includes exposure to music, social sciences, history, philosophy, and literature. Only with this depth of knowledge can we mold leaders ready to solve tomorrow’s problems.”
At the University of Iowa, Greteman demonstrated his commitment to creating equitable, inspiring experiences for all students. He was a charter member of the First Gen Task Force and completed his certification in the Building University of Iowa Leadership for Diversity (BUILD) program.
“Tulsa itself is a vibrant city that’s been a crucible for the racial, tribal, labor, and even ecological histories that have both formed and shaken this nation,” Greteman said. “I’m excited to help propel a college of liberal arts and sciences that speaks to and through this history, culture, and place.”
A former journalist for TIME Magazine and a prolific writer whose expertise includes the plays of Shakespeare and the poetry of Milton, Greteman has also written for popular publications such as Slate, Newsweek, and The London Review of Books. He is a staunch advocate for the liberal arts and has a keen interest in the rapidly emerging field of artificial intelligence and how AI will affect universities of the future.
Greteman succeeds Kirsten Olds, who has served as interim dean of Kendall College since spring 2023 when then-Dean Karen Petersen was named president of Hendrix College.