Witte currently serves as the Kim and Chuck Watson Chair of Education and Professor of Youth Literacy and English Education at Oklahoma State University.
After a national search, Shelby Witte has been appointed dean of the University of North Dakota's College of Education and Human Development.
The appointment was made by Eric Link, UND's provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Witte currently serves as the Kim and Chuck Watson Educational Endowment Chair and Senior Director of Outreach and Teacher Education at Oklahoma State University, where she is a professor of youth literacy and English language education. Her start date at UND is July 1.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Witte will be joining UND as the next dean of the College of Education and Human Development,” Link said. “She has extensive administrative experience and has demonstrated that she is a collaborative and innovative leader who collaborates across the university and with external stakeholders to best serve students and the state of North Dakota.
“I am impressed by her passion for the work of university faculty and staff, and I look forward to watching CEHD flourish under her leadership.”
Witte expressed his excitement to be joining UND.
“I am thrilled to join the College of Education and Human Development at the University of North Dakota and look forward to working with our talented faculty, staff, students, and the larger United Nations community to advance the mission and growth focus of our flagship institution. I look forward to achieving it,” she said.
Witte will succeed Cheryl Hunter, who has served as interim dean since August. Hunter's appointment follows the retirement of Cindy Juntunen, who served as dean from 2016 to 2023.
In addition to his current role, Witte is site director emeritus of the Oklahoma State University Writing Project and founding director of the Digital Age Literacy Initiative, which recognizes the annual recipient of the Divergent Award for Digital Age Literacy. A resource from theory to practice for classroom teachers and students interested in implementing digital literacy in the classroom.
Witte began her teaching career in 1995 as an English language arts teacher in a small city in southwestern Oklahoma. Throughout her career, she has taught youth and adults at all levels, from middle school students to doctoral students, in rural, urban, and suburban communities. Witte was selected as a finalist for the 2008 Kansas Teacher of the Year Award, and in 2006, she was certified by the National Certification Board in Early Youth/English Language Arts. She has been a member of the National Council of Teachers of English for decades, where she has served. She has held a number of positions, including serving as a mid-level representative on a nationally elected executive committee and most recently co-editor, with Sarah Keidel, of the leading mid-level magazine Voices from the Middle. . Witte earned a bachelor's degree in English education from the University of Oklahoma and earned her master's and Ph.D. She is from Kansas State University. Prior to her arrival at Oklahoma State University, she was a tenured professor at Florida State University.
