Longtime professor and CAS dean Ron Sudol to retire

After more than 30 years of dedicated service, Oakland University Dean Ron Sudol will retire on Tuesday, Aug. 14.

Dr. Sudol came to Oakland in 1977 as an assistant professor of rhetoric and was later named associate provost in the Office of Academic Affairs. In 2007, he was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, after serving on an interim basis for two years.  

In his role as dean, Dr. Sudol presided over many developments, including creation of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric and introduction of new undergraduate degree programs in social work, actuarial science, fine arts, cinema studies, Japanese, biomedical sciences, liberal studies, graphic design and criminal justice. Master’s programs in communication and psychology were also added, along with doctoral degrees in physics and psychology. 

Recognizing world-class faculty, Dr. Sudol appointed six distinguished professors and added nearly 100 new and replacement faculty members in seven years. His tenure also was marked by the inauguration of a CAS Faculty Engagement Award and significant growth of funded research in physics, mathematics and statistics, biological sciences and chemistry.

As a professor, Dr. Sudol published a textbook and served as editor or co-editor for four collections of essays. He has also authored dozens of scholarly articles and received several grants, including two from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is founding director of the Meadow Brook Writing Project, a professional development program for teachers looking to improve student writing. 

In tandem with his OU career, Dr. Sudol was a member of The College Board English Advisory Committee, which introduced the writing sample portion of the SAT exam. He also has served as a consultant to the Michigan Department of Education on writing assessments. 

Before joining Oakland, Dr. Sudol earned a Ph.D. in English from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Upon his retirement, Dr. Sudol plans to travel and write a book concerning the future of higher education.

A farewell reception for Dr. Sudol will take place on Monday, Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. in Oakland Center Banquet Room B. The OU community is welcome to attend.