SIUE Selects Pankl as Dean of Library and Information Services
The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees today approved Lis Pankl as dean of SIUE Library and Information Services (LIS) following completion of a national search. Pankl will assume the role effective Monday, Aug. 3.
“The library is the academic ‘heart’ of a campus, supporting scholarship, faculty and staff development, and community engagement,” said SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook. “Dr. Pankl has tremendous enthusiasm for all of these areas, and will lead SIUE’s efforts to continue our growth in research and innovation while supporting those who rely on our library – faculty, staff, students and community members.”
Pankl arrives at SIUE after serving as head of Graduate and Undergraduate Services, associate librarian for the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah (UofU) in Salt Lake City since 2016. She provided strategic vision and leadership for Graduate and Undergraduate Services.
“We are excited that Dr. Pankl has agreed to join the SIUE community, and we look forward to her leadership of Library and Information Services,” said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD. “The Library is a central nexus for academic support for students, faculty and staff on our campus.
“The Library faculty and staff and its resources are critical to meeting our goals of academic excellence, whether in terms of instruction or research and creative activities. Dr. Pankl’s interdisciplinary scholarship and previous experience will help support the evolution of our library services, facilities and holdings. I look forward to working with her and to her contributions to our University.”
“I sincerely thank Provost Denise Cobb and the LIS Dean Search Committee for their hard work and dedication during this process,” Pankl said. “I am delighted to be joining the SIUE community. SIUE was particularly attractive because of its student-centered focus, as well as its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Under her direction, Pankl sees LIS anticipating and serving the needs of the SIUE community in a rapidly evolving higher education environment. “My goal is for Lovejoy Library to be a welcoming and inclusive place that serves as a hub for learning and exploration at SIUE,” Pankl said.
At UofU, Pankl served on the Research & User Services Leadership team to develop strategic directions for the division. She was a liaison to the Departments of Geography, English and Latin American Studies. She developed and implemented best practices in teaching, learning and assessment for the library. She partnered with key campus leaders and units to engage students in the UofU’s intellectual and social lifecycles.
The Cheney, Washington native began as an instruction librarian and assistant librarian in 2005 at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Libraries in Baton Rouge, La. While teaching library research methods and information literacy sessions for the Department of History, she also helped develop and define collections and services that supported and enhanced faculty research and student learning.
Pankl began an 8-year tenure at Kansas State University (KSU) in Manhattan, Kan. in 2007, where she advanced to an associate professor, and faculty and graduate services librarian. Beginning as an assistant professor and humanities librarian, she continued in dual roles by teaching information literacy sessions for the Departments of English and Modern Languages, while developing and defining collections and services that supported and enhanced faculty research and student learning. She later provided customized services for faculty and graduate students in the Departments of English, Modern Languages, Geography, Philosophy and History.
In 2015, Pankl moved eastward for a year to become the Head of Academic Engagement and associate librarian for the Stony Brook University (SBU) Libraries in Stony Brook, N.Y. She led all SBU faculty librarians in teaching and liaison activities. While supervising a core academic team of faculty librarians, she partnered with campus departments, units and student groups to engage with SBU’s academic lifecycle. Serving on the Research & User Engagement Administrative team that guided strategic vision for library spaces and services, she participated on an engagement team that provided online and in-person research assistance to the SBU and local communities.
Pankl earned a PhD in geography from Kansas State University in 2015. She holds three master’s degrees: in English from Abilene Christian University, in Abilene, Texas in 2001; in library science in 2005 from the University of North Texas, in Denton; and in public administration from the UofU in 2020. She also earned a bachelor’s in English in 1999 from Washington State University, in Pullman.
Pankl steps into the role after Lydia Jackson served as interim dean since November 2017.
The SIUE Library and Information Services (LIS) consistently strives for new and inventive ways to deliver information to students, faculty and the community. LIS is home to Lovejoy Library, the heart of the University. The library provides SIUE faculty and students the information required for their academic pursuits that result in improving our communities. LIS faculty and staff nurture SIUE students’ scholarship with resources that support the collaboration and innovative thinking needed to succeed in the global marketplace.
Photo: SIUE Library and Information Services Dean Lis Pankl.
