WSU mourns death of Dean Judy Mitchell

 
 
PULLMAN – Judy Nichols Mitchell, who served as dean of WSU’s College of Education for 11 years, died unexpectedly June 26 at her home in Pullman. She was 70.
Mitchell was the university’s longest-serving dean and a prominent leader on both state and national education issues. As dean, she oversaw the Department of Teaching & Learning, and Department of Educational Leadership & Teaching Psychology on all four WSU campuses.
 
“Judy Mitchell served Washington State University long and well. She was a leader with great intellectual energy and compassion. She made this university a better place and she will be missed by all those who knew and admired her,” said Elson S. Floyd, WSU president.
 
“Her love, dedication and devotion for Washington State University and the College of Education were unparalleled,” said Associate Dean Len Foster.
 
Mitchell died late Friday or early Saturday at her Pullman home, Foster said. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed. She is survived by her daughter, Amy Mitchell of Tucson; her son, Ian Mitchell of Chicago; and four grandchildren.
 
The family is planning services in Pullman and Tucson. Details will be posted on the college’s website. The College of Education plans to hold a memorial service in her honor in the fall; details will be announced later.
 
Foster has been named interim dean by WSU Provost and Executive Vice President Warwick M. Bayly, who with WSU President Elson S. Floyd sent his condolences to Mitchell’s family and the university community.
 
“This is a tremendous shock and loss to the College of Education, Washington State University, and the local, state, and national educational communities of which she was such a beloved colleague and leader,” they wrote.
 
Colleagues described Mitchell as tireless. She spent up to 25 percent of her time traveling to raise awareness of and funding for the college, said Kim Holapa, director of development for the college.
 
“She was always willing to hear opinions, even when they differed from hers, and she embraced the different perspectives we all brought to discussions,” Holapa said. “Judy was a caring and attentive dean, putting the needs of the people first in all her decisions.”
 
Doctoral candidate Joan O’sa Oviawe, past president of the Education Graduate Organization (EGO), said Monday she was devastated by the news of Mitchell’s death.
 
“I just keep playing over and over in my head the conversation we had in May, she had been so full of praises for EGO and all our accomplishments as graduate students and we both laughed when she apologized for not been able to hug me because she had a cold,” she said.
 
During spring semester, the College of Education gained reaccreditation from three major agencies: the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.
“Each successful accreditation visit and subsequent glowing report gave her the opportunity to tout the work of the college and its faculty, staff and students,” said Foster.
 
Those working close to Mitchell said that her happiest roles were as ambassador for the College of Education, and as a WSU sports fan.
 
Under Mitchell’s leadership, a number of undergraduate and graduate programs in the College of Education grew in prominence, including statewide doctoral programs in educational leadership, teacher leadership and community college leadership. In 2005, the college dedicated an $11 million, 27,000 square-foot Education Addition, which was linked to existing college facilities in Cleveland Hall.
 
She frequently wrote about issues affecting education and her college. A selection of her columns can be found on her webpage at http://education.wsu.edu/overview/dean/ . Mitchell’s academic research focused on reading comprehension issues, but after becoming dean, she wrote frequently on university administrative and career issues.
 
From 2005-2007 she served as the president of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions. From 2004-2006 she was president of the Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. She was also a regular presenter to national conferences on administrative issues.
 
She was writing a book, Seasons of a Dean’s Life, with colleagues from the University of Iowa, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the University of San Francisco.
 
When named to the deanship at WSU in 1998, Mitchell was serving as interim executive director of the Center for Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University. At that time, she was on leave from a tenured faculty position she had held at the University of Arizona since 1976.
 
While at the University of Arizona, she chaired the University Commission on the Status of Women and served as a faculty associate in the provost’s office, where she coordinated the university’s first professional development program for department chairs.
 
She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern University.
 
Messages of condolence to the family and College of Education can be sent to education@wsu.edu. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the “Dean’s Excellence Fund” through the WSU Foundation. To make a donation, click here, or contact Kim Holapa at holapa@wsu.edu.
 

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