By BSU Marketing and Communications—
Muncie, IN – Dr. Scott Edward Rutledge will join the academic leadership team at Ball State University as Dean of the College of Health, effective July 1, 2021, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Susana Rivera-Mills announced.
Dr. Rutledge recently served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Public Health at Temple University. He began his professional career as a writer and editor for the University of Iowa Alumni Association before transitioning to a career in social work first focusing on child welfare and then shifting to HIV prevention. Dr. Rutledge began his higher education career in 2002 as an assistant professor in the College of Social Work and faculty affiliate in the Women’s Studies Program at Florida State University. He then joined Temple University in 2005 where he has fulfilled various academic roles in the School of Social Work and College of Public Health.
The Ball State University College of Health, which Dr. Rutledge will oversee, opened in 2016, combining multiple health-related disciplines. In the Fall of 2019, the College of Health finished construction on a $62.5 million Health Professions Building, bringing faculty, students, and staff together in a state-of-the-art learning environment.
“This is an exciting time for our College of Health,” Provost Rivera-Mills said. “President Mearns and I believe Dr. Rutledge has the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the region and state as we work to meet the needs of the healthcare community and educate the next generation of healthcare leaders.”
In addition to being an administrator and educator, Dr. Rutledge is a scholar. His extensive research portfolio—built over 25 years—includes developing HIV prevention interventions, studying AIDS stigma in the US and Caribbean, and exploring health disparities among racial and sexual minorities.
Dr. Rutledge holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Washington, an M.S.W. from the University of Iowa, and a B.A. in Communications from Marycrest College.
As someone who has spent his career helping others, Dr. Rutledge said he admires how Ball State is guided by a set of enduring values and that it is committed to serving its neighbors and community.
“Ball State’s innovative approach to education and state of the art, new Health Professions Building make it a premier school for students pursuing a career in healthcare,” Dr. Rutledge said. “I’m honored to join a very talented group of educators who are dedicated to serving those students, using excellence, integrity, social responsibility, respect, gratitude, innovation, and courage as a guiding light in the classroom. They are values that make Ball State what it is, but they are also values that matter tremendously in healthcare. I look forward to returning home to the Midwest and collaborating with others to advance the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers.”
In addition to announcing Dr. Rutledge as the college’s new dean, Provost Rivera-Mills thanked Dr. Jayanthi Kandiah for her service as interim dean of the College of Health.
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 22,500 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming and inclusive campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State’s ambitious goals for our second century. We Fly!
