Getting to Know Sarah Wasserman, Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs

Sarah Wasserman joined Dartmouth this month as assistant dean for faculty affairs in the Arts and Sciences.

In this new role, Wasserman will work collaboratively with faculty to understand their needs, build community, support professional development, and coordinate academic policies and procedures.

An accomplished academic administrator and scholar of 20th- and 21st-century American literature, Wasserman previously served as an associate professor of English and director of the Center for Material Culture Studies, an interdisciplinary hub for research and teaching, at the University of Delaware. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies in Berlin, Germany.

Wasserman's first monograph, The Death of Things: Ephemera and the American Novel, received honorable mention for the Modernist Studies Association's First Book Prize. Among her many scholarly activities, she is a host of the podcast Novel Dialogue, which puts writers and critics in conversation about the making of novels.

In a Q&A, Wasserman discusses how her experience as a scholar and teacher informs her new role, as well as the value she places on listening and learning from others. (This interview has been edited for clarity and length.)

With your success in research and teaching, what prompted you to take on an administrative role?

I love research and teaching, but I think that we are at an inflection point in higher education right now due to financial pressures, changes in technology, and deep uncertainty about the future. It's crucial for those of us who enjoy administrative work—and enjoy advocacy in particular—to put our energies toward helping institutions and the faculty who make them great navigate these challenges.

I realized I was at a crossroads where I could either continue focusing on my scholarship and facilitating work in contemporary literary studies, or I could devote my energies to more broadly supporting faculty so that they can do their best work as researchers and as teachers. It feels important to me right now to be able to serve as broad a faculty population as possible so that they feel supported and their institutions are inclusive and equitable.

How do you think your experience as a faculty member will inform your perspective as an administrator?

My own experience as a faculty member has attuned me to some of the challenges that faculty face. Things like departmental climate, mentoring, finding funding opportunities to support research, making sure that faculty have the leadership opportunities that interest them—these are all issues I've encountered as a faculty member. I know how important procedural clarity and holistic support are, and I am excited to focus on both at Dartmouth. I also have experience in conflict resolution, which is something I really care about.

My hope is that my experience, in combination with my willingness to listen and learn from the Dartmouth community about their goals, will allow me to help support people and offices across campus to meet them.

What excites you most about your new role?

Two things! The first is being in a role where listening and learning from others is the top priority. As a faculty member, you're often called upon to be the expert, to lead at the front of the classroom, or to give the interview on your area of research. Now I have this new opportunity that demands I learn what other people need and how I can best support them. It's really exciting to be able to be a student again in that particular way.

The other thing is that I've always liked being a part of a team, and I see this as a very collaborative role. I will collaborate with associate deans and the dean of faculty, with the chief financial officer, and the senior advisor for faculty development, diversity, and inclusion. And of course I will always be collaborating with department chairs, faculty, and staff. So instead of being a lone wolf researcher, I get to work with others every day. I'm really looking forward to that.

Do you plan to continue your scholarly work?

I am about halfway through my second book project, and I do intend to finish that, but this administrative role will be my priority. I think it's a real gift that I will be focusing on this role and so the scholarship I do will be at a different pace. I really welcome that change. So even though I'll be continuing to write and to host the Novel Dialogue podcast, it will be lower down on my to-do list than the work that I'm doing day to day.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I love the outdoors, which is one reason I'm happy to have moved to New Hampshire. I hike vigorously. I run slowly. I canoe and kayak. I do yoga.

I also love animals. I currently have cats but I would also love to have chickens and goats and donkeys, so I enjoy volunteering for animal shelters and just spending time with as many animals as I can.

One of my other favorite things is ice cream, and I have discovered that the Upper Valley is an ice cream paradise. I think I've been eating ice cream—different flavors, different locations—almost every day since I've arrived.

What are you looking forward to doing in the Upper Valley?

I want to learn to cross-country ski. I was a downhill skier as a child but stopped that pretty young. I feel like I would really enjoy cross-country skiing, so hopefully there will be enough snow this winter to give that a try. A friend here is a high school cross-country ski coach, so I might try to get a few lessons from her and not assume that I can just teach myself.

In general, I'm really looking forward to the change of pace. I lived in Philadelphia for nine years, and before that I lived in Berlin, Germany. I've also lived in London, New York, Paris, and Chicago—a lot of big cities for a long time. I'm happy to be here now, with more access to nature. It's so beautiful. I love the farmers' markets, the open skies, the peace and quiet.