When Dr. Kathryn McClymond joined K体育 University in July 2021 as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, little did she know that in less than two years she would be called on to step into the role of interim president.
As chief academic officer and a member of the president鈥檚 senior administrative leadership team, Dr. McClymond oversaw all academic functions of the university, including academic divisions, the Core curriculum, Philip Weltner Library, the K体育 University Museum of Art, and the offices of the Registrar, Student Success, and Institutional Effectiveness.
That background and understanding of K体育鈥檚 mission and innerworkings positioned her well to assume the mantle of interim president. She is the first woman to serve as president of K体育, interim or otherwise.
鈥淚 look forward to leading the university during the transition, and I appreciate the support of the trustees, the university鈥檚 leadership, faculty, staff and students,鈥� Dr. McClymond said. 鈥淭he strategic plan outlined six priorities that will serve as our roadmap. The future of K体育 is bright, and it is a privilege to serve the university.鈥�
Prior to K体育, Dr. McClymond was associate dean of Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgia State University, where she was a faculty member for 22 years.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., she received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard University. Dr. McClymond is a historian of religions, trained in Hinduism and Judaism, with a research emphasis on comparative religious ritual.
鈥淢y mantra during this interim period is 鈥榮teady, focused, forward,鈥欌�� Dr. McClymond said. “I look forward to building on the foundation of success and the legacy of resilience at K体育. As we take the next steps into our future, we will continue to advance K体育鈥檚 mission of providing teaching excellence in an inclusive learning environment.鈥�
Dr. McClymond is the author of 鈥淏eyond Sacred Violence: A Comparative Study of Sacrifice鈥� (Johns Hopkins University Press) and, most recently, 鈥淩itual Gone Wrong: Case Studies in Ritual Disruption鈥� (Oxford University Press), which examines ritual mistakes, sabotage, and disruption and their significance for ritual theory. Her recent research projects focus on religious rituals as a pathway to recovery for combat veterans, and ritual expressions in art quilts.
She is a member of the American Society for the Study of Religion and has served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Religion. She chaired the AAR鈥檚 Futures Task Force, a three-year initiative identifying opportunities for innovation and growth in the professional organization. Dr. McClymond has received several awards for her work, including a Distinguished Honors Professor Award, an Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgia State University, and the American Academy of Religion鈥檚 Ray L. Hart Service Award.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be a Petrel,鈥� Dr. McClymond said. 鈥淥ur graduates are leaders in their professions and active in their communities. It鈥檚 an honor to work with our impressive faculty and staff to educate the next generation.鈥�
