Diane Prusank, Ph.D. was appointed on May 25 as the new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs and Susan Leggett, Ph.D., will serve as the new chief of staff in the Office of the President. She began her position on June 4.
Dr. Prusank
Dr. Prusank will serve a four-year appointment. At the conclusion of her third year of service in this role, a search will be conducted for the position. She most recently served as chief of staff in the Office of the President. During her decade at Westfield State, she has also served as dean of Undergraduate Studies, dean of Academic Programs and Accreditation, and as a faculty member in the Department of Communication.
Prior to joining Westfield State, she served as a faculty member, associate dean, and assistant provost at the University of Hartford.
Dr. Prusank received her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Oklahoma. She is an active scholar researching in the area of media portrayal of personal relationships. She has served as a reviewer and member of the editorial board of several scholarly journals. Her most recent publications include a book chapter in Lifespan Communication and a co-authored article in The Howard Journal of Communication.
Dr. Leggett
Dr. Leggett was welcomed back to the University following a brief hiatus. Previously at Westfield State, Dr. Leggett served as interim dean of faculty from September 2016 until January 2018. She also chaired the Communication Department for seven years and taught Communication courses upon first joining the University as a faculty member in 2004.
As chief of staff, Dr. Leggett assumes high-level administrative and executive duties involving the Office of the President and supporting the mission and values of the University. Dr. Leggett will serve as a member of cabinet and an advisor to President Torrecilha, and as a liaison to internal and external constituencies. She will also coordinate special and high-priority projects and initiatives.
Dr. Leggett earned her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Since 2012, she has served as a volunteer mediator for the Training and Mediation Collaborative. Prior to working in higher education, Dr. Leggett worked on special projects in community-based learning and the environment for the office of the chair of Rodale Press, and in major and planned giving at Rodale Institute, an international agricultural nonprofit.