Dr. Joel Hyer, academic dean at Chadron State College in Nebraska, was hired as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and began his duties July 1.
Dr. Hyer had been at Chadron State since 2001, starting as an assistant professor of history. He served as director of the history and American Indian studies programs, head of the Social Sciences program and department chair. He began his duties as academic dean in 2011, overseeing the School of Business, Mathematics and Science as well as Graduate Studies. As dean, Dr. Hyer developed and worked with others to implement Chadron State’s plan for reaffirmation of accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission, resulting in full reaffirmation in 2017.
Dr. Hyer received his Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Riverside and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees, also in history, from Brigham Young University. He succeeds Dr. Murray Nabors, who will teach biology full-time beginning next year.