Pamela Conners

Pamela K. Conners, PhD serves as interim Provost and Dean of the College. In this role, she collaborates with faculty and staff to ensure a transformative student experience defined by academic excellence and a vibrant campus life.

A member of the Gustavus community since 2011, Dr. Conners is Professor of Communication Studies, with a scholarly focus on rhetoric and public policy. She has taught courses such as Public Discourse, Community Advocacy, and Rhetorical Criticism. Her research examining how public discourse and deliberation function in a democracy has been published in Rhetoric & Public Affairs and Western Journal of Communication.

Dr. Conners has been recognized for her interdisciplinary work, such as integrating deliberative pedagogy into science courses, a project featured in the Journal of Chemical Education. Connecting theory to practice for students, she helped launch the Gustavus Public Deliberation & Dialogue program in 2018, through which students across campus engage in thoughtful discussion about critical issues of common concern.

Dr. Conners has held numerous leadership roles at Gustavus, including Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty Development, Director of the John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning, and Director of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, Creativity, and Dialogue.