Christopher “Caskey” Russell, ‘93, B.A. and ‘96, M.A., English, will be the new dean of Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies.
Russell comes from the University of Wyoming, where he directed Native American and Indigenous Studies and was assistant director of the School of Culture, Gender and Social Justice. He previously served there as director of Chicana/o Studies and as assistant chair of the English Department.
Russell, an enrolled member of the Tlingit Indian Tribe of Alaska, has a doctorate in English from the University of Oregon in addition to his degrees from Western.
Russell’s research and teaching include American Indian studies and literature, Indigenous sovereignty and critical race theory. His published works include the book “Critical Race Theory Matters: Education and Ideology” with Margaret Zamudio, Jacquelyn Bridgeman and Western’s Francisco Rios, along with many scholarly articles and presentations.
He will begin at Western in mid-August.