Clearing Pathways

Kelly Erby has been advocating for students since she became an assistant professor at Washburn in 2011. But now, she has an even clearer path to impacting every student. In May, Erby became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences after serving as interim dean for a year. She was selected after a competitive national search, with the committee citing her love for Washburn as a deciding factor.

A history and English major at Ohio State University, Erby has always been drawn to the arts and sciences. She earned a doctorate in 19th-century U.S. history at Emory University and became a visiting lecturer at Georgia State University while looking for tenure-track positions. When she came across the position at Washburn, she already knew Kansas would be a good place to live, having spent part of her childhood in Wichita and Overland Park. But it was her first visit to campus that won her over.

“I totally fell in love with the history department,” Erby said. “It was clear to me Washburn was student-focused.”

Encouraged by her mentors, Erby used her voice as a faculty member to lead efforts to bring positive change, including bringing on a campus advocate to enhance confidential resources for students, improving faculty recruiting practices and prompting Washburn to adopt inclusion as one of its core values in 2018.

“Faculty at Washburn have the power to suggest and do things,” Erby said.

Erby was eventually promoted to associate professor before her career took a turn into administration. As assistant dean, she knew she would remain connected to faculty and the work she loved while championing the arts and sciences.

“We make decisions at Washburn based on what will benefit students,” Erby said. “I think everyone here shares that core value.”

As dean, Erby’s top goal is to help every student achieve their educational dream, no matter what form it takes.

“At the College of Arts and Sciences, we’re not training you for one specific career. We’re teaching skills that are widely transferable to a variety of fields” Erby said. “These skills help you be an engaged citizen and lead a more fulfilling life. College programs also provide pathways for students to engage directly through experiential learning opportunities, from travel courses to internships to community-engaged learning.”

Erby knows the College of Arts and Sciences will continue to make an impact on the community.

“Too often, the arts and sciences are thought of as being too outdated or too esoteric,” Erby said. “But they teach skills we need in the 21st century, from how to consider diverse perspectives to how to evaluate complicated information.”

“We have a really important role to play in expanding access to education,” Erby said. “A more educated community will do great things for northeast Kansas.”