Joy K. Ward welcomed the opportunity to lead an institution that integrates the natural and social sciences, arts and humanities. Photo by Anthony Gray.

Joy K. Ward, a scientist and academic leader with a history of generating support for faculty and student research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and promoting diversity in higher education, assumed her duties as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences this summer. She joined Case Western Reserve after 17 years at the University of Kansas (KU), where she was most recently an associate dean for research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a Dean’s Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

The author of 40 peer-reviewed articles, Ward studies how plants adapt to climate change and rising carbon dioxide in their environment. Her work, which has important implications for global food production, has brought her a series of prestigious honors, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

In 2010, the Kavli Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences selected Ward as a Kavli Fellow, a distinction reserved for the nation’s most promising scientists and engineers under the age of 45. At KU, she received the inaugural Wohlgemuth Faculty Scholar chair; the University Scholarship Achievement Award, conferred by the university chancellor for excellence in STEM research; the University of Kansas Women of Distinction Award; and the K. Barbara Schowen Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.

Ward has served in advisory and leadership roles for federal agencies and chaired several Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia for the National Academy of Sciences. Since 2004, she has also been active in National Institutes of Health programs designed to increase diversity among students pursuing STEM fields.

“Joy’s career demonstrates a long and consistent commitment to supporting and advancing the efforts of others,” says Provost and Executive Vice President Ben Vinson III. “Her effectiveness in those efforts stems from an inherent passion for the work, as well as an impressive understanding of the complexities of leadership. She will be an outstanding dean for the college.”

In this interview for art/sci, edited for length and clarity, Ward reflected on the experiences and values that inform her approach to her new role, and on her aspirations for the College of Arts and Sciences.

What attracted you to Case Western Reserve University?

It was easy for me to see that this university is making remarkable contributions to scholarship and research and is excelling at educating the next generation of leaders and innovators. I met faculty members producing work of the highest caliber in the natural and social sciences, the arts and the humanities, who at the same time are fully committed to teaching and mentoring students. I learned about the exceptionally high percentage of undergraduates who participate in research and develop lasting relationships with their professors. These relationships are life-changing, and I want to continue to foster them.

I was also excited to discover how much the college’s offerings are enriched by its collaborations with schools and programs across the university; with industry and foundation partners; and with cultural institutions such as Cleveland Play House, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Leaders before me have recognized the extraordinary opportunities these collaborations provide to our students and faculty, and I am eager to build on that tradition.

How does your background as a scientist and faculty member influence your leadership style and priorities as dean?

I know from experience that an academic career demands tremendous effort and sacrifice. For this reason, I am committed to supporting faculty members in every discipline as they seek to advance their research, make progress on a book or prepare for an outstanding performance. I also know that a university is only as good as its faculty, and that it is essential for the administration and the faculty to work together in partnership.

As a scientist, I have been trained in data collection and analysis, so of course the decisions I make as dean will be informed by data. But there is more to academic leadership than that. The contributions our faculty make to their fields, our communities and the larger society cannot be measured solely by a calculated impact factor or a citation count. I look forward to celebrating successes that come in many forms—in the classroom, in the lab and onstage.

I also recognize that making sound decisions for the college requires anticipating the future of higher education and investing in the scholarly and creative areas that will best serve our students and society decades down the road.

CWRU’s strategic plan, Think Big, emphasizes interdisciplinary research and education, and the college has been encouraging its faculty to collaborate across departments and with other units of the university. In your view, what makes such collaborations valuable, and how can the college advance in this direction?

Let me begin by saying that, in my scientific work, one of the most critical challenges is to ask the right questions. If I succeed in that, I can usually find the best approach to moving forward. But if I focus on the wrong questions, I will waste time and effort instead of making much-needed progress in my field.

I have learned that the most powerful strategy for asking the right questions is to assemble a team of people who think in different ways, who have broad perspectives and a variety of backgrounds. I have also learned that the most urgent issues of our time—including climate change, infectious disease, health disparities and systemic racism—are too complex to understand or address without the combined insights of multiple disciplines.

It is vital, therefore, that we build on the outstanding interdisciplinary work already taking place on our campus in research, scholarship and the creative arts. One of my priorities as dean is to highlight such work in order to encourage new collaborations, and to generate seed and bridge funding for interdisciplinary projects.

You have been exceptionally devoted to expanding opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities. What lessons from your experience have you brought to Case Western Reserve?

As someone who has seen the proportion of women and underrepresented minorities increase in higher education, I want to say, first, that this change has benefited the academy immensely. Inclusive environments lead to the highest levels of excellence and innovation. And one reason I feel at home at Case Western Reserve is that the university recognizes this fact and is actively seeking to diversify its faculty, staff and student body.

I believe our collective commitment to diversity must be reflected in everything we do. We must recruit more women and people of color to the faculty in a broad array of disciplines. We must attract greater numbers of minority students—especially first-generation students from under-resourced communities—and create an academic and social environment that enables them to flourish. We must continue developing courses that prepare our students to become leaders in advancing the cause of racial justice and equal opportunity in our society.

How do you envision your relationship with the college’s alumni?

Talking with alumni is already one of my favorite parts of the job. I enjoy hearing about their experiences at Case Western Reserve, discovering why the university has been meaningful to them and discussing how they might become more involved in what we do. During these past few months, I have already met so many alumni who feel closely tied to the university and committed to its long-term growth. I am deeply grateful to have begun my journey as dean with their support.