Dean Jay Starratt, whose leadership since 2007 has helped define and realize innovation for the WSU Libraries system-wide, will step down as the dean of Libraries due to personal health reasons. He will return to his faculty position as a professor in the Libraries effective immediately.
Associate Dean Trevor Bond will assume the role of interim dean of Libraries immediately and will partner closely with Starratt over the next few months to ensure a successful transition.
“President Schulz and I are grateful for Dean Starratt’s leadership since 2007,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Elizabeth Chilton. “He has led the Libraries with integrity and a deep commitment to the profession. Dean Starratt has hired numerous talented colleagues and set high expectations for creativity and innovation.”
Bond has served as a member of Starratt’s leadership team since 2016, serving as associate dean for digital initiatives and special collections. He also serves as the director of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities.
Bond received his Master’s in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives and Preservation Management and a Masters in Ancient History at UCLA. He completed his PhD in the Department of History at WSU. Bond is the author of Coming Home to Nez Perce Country: The Niimiipuu Campaign to Repatriate Their Exploited Heritage, a finalist for the 2022 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction.
Bond recently completed a series of grants funded by the Washington State Library in collaboration with the Nez Perce Tribe’s Cultural Resources Program. He has presented widely at professional conferences and published articles on WSU history, collecting, and enhancing access to special collections.
“Dr. Bond is a well-regarded leader, researcher, and instructor,” said Chilton. “Incoming Provost Chris Riley-Tillman and I value his deep knowledge of the WSU’s libraries enterprise and look forward to working with him to advance the Libraries throughout the WSU system.”
The Office of the Provost will launch a search for a permanent dean of libraries during the 2025 fall semester, with the intent of having the position filled by May 2026.
