Turpen Appointed as UW Arts and Sciences Dean and Kvenild as Interim Libraries Dean

The University of Wyoming’s Board of Trustees has taken action regarding leadership of UW’s College of Arts and Sciences and UW Libraries.

Scott Turpen, who has been the College of Arts and Sciences’ interim dean for nearly one year, will no longer have the “interim” tag as of July 1.

And Cass Kvenild, an associate dean of UW Libraries, will become interim dean of the libraries Aug. 14, taking the reins from retiring Dean Ivan Gaetz.

The appointments were approved today (Wednesday) by the Board of Trustees.

“We’re delighted that Dean Turpen has agreed to continue at the helm of the College of Arts and Sciences on a more permanent basis, as his strong, steady leadership has been crucial during a period of transition over the past year,” says Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman. “And we are confident that Cass will continue moving UW Libraries forward while we evaluate next steps for identifying the next dean to succeed Dean Gaetz, who has been an outstanding leader at UW for the past seven years.”

Turpen is a longtime Department of Music faculty member who served as a department head and associate dean of the college before becoming interim dean last July. He holds graduate degrees from the University of Georgia.

“I am thrilled to serve as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and appreciate the support of Provost Carman, the college and our external stakeholders,” Turpen says. “I look forward to continuing to work together with our college and others to grow and promote the humanities, social sciences and arts on our campus and across Wyoming. It is a terrific time to be in our college, and we will strive to provide outstanding teaching, research, creative activity, service, outreach and programs for UW and the state.”

Since 2019, Kvenild has been an associate dean of UW Libraries, where she began her career as an assistant librarian in 2008. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from UW and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington.

“I am honored to step into the role of interim dean at UW Libraries, following in the footsteps of Dean Ivan Gaetz,” Kvenild says. “This transition presents a valuable opportunity to build upon the strong and visionary foundation laid by Dean Gaetz and to shape the future of our library system. Together, we will continue to foster a dynamic and inclusive learning environment, embrace innovation and empower our community through the transformative power of information and knowledge.”