New Deans Take the Lead
Baylor University welcomes new deans in the College of Arts & Sciences and the Louise Herrington School of Nursing and an interim dean in the School of Music. The incoming leadership represents a robust commitment to Baylor’s status as a Research 1 university while remaining true to Baylor’s long-standing excellence in teaching.
Arts and Sciences
James R. Brockmole, Ph.D., has been selected as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, effective July 1. Brockmole comes to Baylor from Notre Dame, where he has taught psychology and served as chair of the department of
psychology. He will succeed Lee Nordt, Ph.D., A.B.C. ’07, who served as dean for two decades, the longest tenure in the history of the college.
“While at Notre Dame, James Brockmole has been a builder and innovator, and his track record as both a researcher and as an academic leader is remarkable,” said Provost Nancy Brickhouse, B.A. ’82, Ph.D. “His vision and unique experience will ensure Baylor is well-positioned to prepare students for the future through the excellent work of the faculty and staff in the College of Arts & Sciences.”
“I am honored to serve as the next dean of Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences,” said Brockmole. “I believe faith-based universities are well-positioned to address the world’s biggest challenges by blending rigorous inquiry with a deep sense of moral purpose and a commitment to human flourishing. I am excited to join Baylor’s vibrant community to help advance its academic goals, distinctive Christian mission and vision for the future.”
The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor’s largest academic division with
25 departments representing the sciences, social sciences, humanities and the arts, and it is home to nearly half of all Baylor undergraduate students.
Louise Herrington School of Nursing
Tanya M. Sudia, Ph.D., R.N., FNAP, FAAN, has been selected as dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, effective
June 1, and will succeed Linda Plank, B.S.N. ’77, Ph.D., R.N., NEA-BC, who will retire this summer. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice, Sudia returns to Baylor, where she served from 2014-19 as the School’s inaugural associate dean for research and scholarship and a tenured professor of nursing.
“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Tanya Sudia back to Baylor University as dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing,” said Provost Brickhouse. “She knows the profession of nursing very well and is committed to the distinctiveness of the education Baylor provides for nurses.”
“I am honored and blessed to return to Baylor as the next dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing,” Sudia said. “I look forward to continuing the trajectory of notable accomplishments by Dean Plank with an exceptional team of faculty and staff colleagues. Collaboratively, we will develop a bold strategic plan, aligned with our unique Christian R1 institutional mission, to achieve the next level of excellence for the LHSON.”
School of Music
Randall Bradley, D.M.A., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Music, director of the church music program and director of the Baylor Men’s Choir, has been appointed interim dean of the School of Music. A member of the Baylor School of Music faculty since 2000, Bradley was recently selected as Baylor University’s 2026 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year. Bradley is a sought-after worship leader, conductor, lecturer and conference presenter, and he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in church music and leads the Dunn Center for Christian Music Studies, which has risen as a preeminent and collaborative center of study for Christian music worldwide.