By Emerson Thompson, Staff Writer
After 24 years of serving as dean of the School of Humanities, Jeff Root is stepping into a new chapter, one that feels familiar in the best way. Instead of balancing administrative responsibilities with teaching, he will spend his final two years at the university focusing fully on the classroom.
For Root, the transition is not about stepping away, but about redistributing his time to what he has always valued most. “The administrative side is really about creating the setting in which learning can happen,” Root said. “The actual process of teaching and learning happens as a faculty member with students.” After years of doing both, he is looking forward to giving his full attention to that experience. “I’ve never taught full-time,” Root said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Root’s journey to becoming dean was not something he initially planned. After working in public relations at the university, he stepped into the role during a time of transition when the school structure was being changed. What began as a temporary position turned into more than two decades of leadership.
Looking back, one of the most meaningful parts of that role has been the people he has worked alongside. “One of the great joys of being dean is that you get to be involved in hiring,” Root said. “I was a part of hiring everybody that’s in the School of Humanities now, and I feel so good about all of them.”
That investment in people is something faculty members say defines his leadership. Carter, who first knew Root as a student and now works alongside him, says his character has remained steady over the years. “He is as kind and as open and as engaging now as he was then,” Carter said. “He’s always who he has been.” He also pointed to the way Root leads with action. “He does what he says, and he means what he says,” he added, noting his consistent support for both his students and faculty.
For those closest to him, Root’s leadership has always been grounded in relationships. His wife, Deborah Root, described him as someone who listens carefully and brings people together. “He is a listener. He’s an effective communicator, and he is a peacemaker,” Root said. Instead of relying on long email exchanges, he often chooses to walk down the hall and have a conversation face to face. That simple habit has helped shape a department culture where people feel known and valued.
That same sense of connection is what Root says he values most about his time in higher education. Both he and Deborah agree that the relationships with students are what make the work meaningful. “The opportunity to spend time with students is precious to us,” Root said.
Even as he steps away from the dean’s office, Root is excited about what is ahead. He is especially looking forward to teaching freshmen again, something he has not done in several years. “I like 18-year-olds because everything is new to them,” Root said. “I want to give them encouragement and challenge them to become adults.”
For many in the department, the idea of moving forward without him as dean feels like a significant change. “He’s been an incredible leader, role model, teacher, colleague and friend,” Carter said. “He’s going to have big shoes to fill.”
Still, Root does not see this moment as an ending. He’ll continue moving through the same hallways and classrooms, still very much part of the university community he’s helped shape, with two more years remaining in his role as a professor. “It’s not really a goodbye,” Root said, “just another chapter.”
And for a place built on relationships, that kind of presence is hard to replace.
