Dean McCurdy elected 10th president of Colby-Sawyer

NEW LONDON, N.H., March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Dean G. McCurdy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Ivy Tech Community College, has been selected unanimously by the Colby-Sawyer College Board of Trustees to serve as the institution's 10th president.

McCurdy will succeed Susan Stuebner, who led Colby-Sawyer from 2016 to 2024. Laura Sykes, former academic vice president and dean of faculty at the college, has served as interim president since July. 

"I am excited that Dean is going to be the next president of Colby-Sawyer College," said Sykes. "In my 31 years here, our presidential transitions have resulted in the right president for the time, and this is no exception. Dean understands the headwinds that are facing all institutions of higher education."

McCurdy said he was elated to be offered the job. While he's enjoyed each role he's had in higher education, he said the breadth and depth of his experiences are a great match for Colby-Sawyer and its mission. 

"The college's history of excellence in teaching and providing experiential learning for all students aligns with what is most effective in supporting student success," he said.

McCurdy has an extensive career in higher education, including at Bowdoin College, where he was field manager of the Coastal Studies Center and a visiting professor of biology. He was a tenured professor and chaired the biology department at Albion College and, as associate vice president for instruction at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, he founded a partnership between the college and regional healthcare providers. 

Prior to becoming provost at Ivy Tech, a 19-campus system in Indiana, McCurdy was chancellor of its Kokomo location. There, he led record fundraising and managed a renovation of the campus.

An ecologist, McCurdy has authored 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers on fish, crustaceans, shorebirds and turtles living in Maine, Nova Scotia and South America.

Hilary Williams, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at Colby-Sawyer, described McCurdy as strategic, visionary and analytical. She said his enthusiasm for innovation in higher education is contagious.

"He has demonstrated an ability to scale and grow both programs and institutions, with a proven record of building enrollment, community partnerships and employer partnerships," she said. "He is passionate about liberal education, experiential learning, workforce development, and student success. I found my interview sessions with Dean to be so inspirational."

To read a Q&A with McCurdy and comments from his peers and colleagues, visit the Colby-Sawyer site.

Media Contact: Beth Staples, [email protected]

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SOURCE COLBY-SAWYER COLLEGE