Dear TU faculty and staff colleagues,

After 30 years in higher education, including 12 years of dedicated service to Towson University, Laurie Mullen has shared that she plans to retire from her role as dean of the College of Education at the end of the current academic year.

Laurie joined TU in 2015 after serving for 18 years at Ball State University, most recently as associate dean of its Teachers College. She earned her Ph.D. and M.Ed. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her B.S. in secondary education and Spanish from Southern Illinois University.

Under her leadership, the College of Education has continued to serve Maryland as the state's preeminent college of education. Laurie arrived at TU with a vision to raise the university's national profile as an institution that prepares educators, building upon its legacy as a state normal school. Today, the College of Education is recognized among the nation's Best Education Schools and for having one of the Best Online Master's in Education Programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.

We will launch a national search immediately, with the intent of having the next dean in place by summer 2027. Details about the search will be communicated soon.

We thank Laurie for her years of dedicated leadership, and I know you will join me in wishing her well as she embarks on her next chapter.

Sincerely,

Melanie Perreault, Ph.D.
Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs