Loyola School of Education Announces David E. McIntosh as New Dean

Loyola announced David E. McIntosh as the new Dean of the School of Education starting July 1 in a Jan. 19 press release.

The Office of the Provost first announced the creation of the dean search committee Nov. 22, 2022 in an email to the Loyola community.

Peter Schrader, a foreign policy, international relations and political science professor and dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote in the university press release that McIntosh stood out as a notable candidate.

“We were impressed by Dean McIntosh’s service to others, decades of experience in higher education, and demonstrated personal and professional leadership in the field of school psychology,” Schrader said.

Schrader declined The Phoenix’s requests for comment.

From 1999 to today, McIntosh has served as the chair of Muncie, Indiana’s Ball State University special education department as well as contributed to the education psychology department. He also contributed to over 70 academic publications over 35 years, according to Ball State’s staff directory.

He currently serves as a professor of educational psychology, a distinguished professor of special education and the interim dean of Teachers College at Ball State University.

McIntosh said his passion for education was sparked during his experience at a summer camp for children with behavioral problems and learning disabilities during his undergraduate years at Hanover College in Indiana.

“I found that I really worked well with the children at the camp and that I enjoyed the education aspect,” McIntosh said. “That’s what led me to school psychology.”

After directing the doctoral program of school psychology at Ball State, McIntosh earned his distinguished professorship which further encouraged him to continue pursuing leadership.

McIntosh said his communication with Loyola began in June when he first contacted the university’s executive search firm, Isaacson Miller, via email. Though he was considering retirement from Ball State, his conversations with Loyola faculty, staff and students persuaded him to extend his career and take on this new role. 

In early October, after months of communicating with Loyola faculty and researching the School of Education, McIntosh said he formally applied for the position.

After receiving his application, the dean search committee — made up of School of Education faculty, staff and students — reviewed McIntosh’s application, carried out a confidential interview process and brought McIntosh to campus where he was able to directly interact with a variety of people within the School of Education, according to Dr. Lara Smetana, science education professor and member of the search committee.

From there, the committee presented their opinions to Provost Margaret Callahan who made the final decision to offer the position to McIntosh, according to Smetana.

Smetana said she thought it was impressive to find a candidate like McIntosh who shared in the School of Education’s Ignatian and social justice values, and who had years of experience in education.

“We’ve had an interim dean for some time, and a lot of fantastic accomplishments have happened during the last several years, but I think having a dedicated person in that official role will provide a level of stability that will be very welcome to the School of Education,” Smetana said. 

Smetana said it stood out that the new dean not only has prior experience but also prioritizes the same values — social justice, social action and transformative education.

“I really like that we’re not just talking about theories,” McIntosh said. “There’s that expectation that students will take that lifelong learning connected with faith into their professional lives and make a difference in the lives of people and children for several years to come and impact multiple generations.”

After 25 years at Ball State and an abundance of experience in academia, McIntosh said he is eager to join the Rambler family and engage with faculty, students and alumni. As July 1 approaches, McIntosh said he is continuing to prepare for his upcoming duties. He said he is already setting goals for himself and his soon-to-be colleagues. 

“Within the first 60 days, I’d like to meet with all of the faculty and begin to gain a better understanding of the culture of the School of Education and the culture of the university,” McIntosh said. “Having the opportunity to see what their mission is, what their goals are and how to meet their goals and objectives is something that I look forward to.”

Featured image courtesy of David McIntosh