Ortlieb selected as dean of College of Education and Human Sciences

Evan Ortlieb, dean of the Zucker Family School of Education at The Citadel, has been named dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at South Dakota State University. 

Ortlieb was selected following a national search, and his anticipated start date is Dec. 11. 

“I am very excited to have Dr. Ortlieb join South Dakota State University as our next dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences,” said Dennis Hedge, provost and vice president for academic affairs at SDSU. “Evan’s leadership experience and strategic vision make him the right person to lead the college into an exciting era. The SDSU College of Education and Human Sciences has great momentum, and I am eager to see the impact of Evan’s leadership.” 

Ortlieb also serves as the Zucker Endowed Chair in Entrepreneurial Education Leadership at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. 

He earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana State University with previous work experience as a director, professor and lecturer in Singapore, Australia and New York. His expertise centers on literacy development, teacher education, educational leadership and leveraging diversity as an asset in classroom. 

Ortlieb said SDSU is a hub for educational innovation, from its expansion into elementary and special education to the one-of-a-kind Wokini Initiative. 

“The College of Education and Human Sciences’ tight connections between the school, community and organizational partnerships, as well as the depth of its support for over 3,000 students across more than 56 diverse programs, are what first attracted me to this leadership role,” Ortlieb said. “Once I had the opportunity to meet stakeholders throughout Brookings, I knew that SDSU's vibrant community was the perfect fit for my growing family.” 

“I look forward to working with the college’s exceptional faculty and staff as we become a premier land-grant university. Together, we will serve students, faculty and staff across South Dakota State University, as well as the community of Brookings and the greater state,” he added. 

Along with numerous school district partners, Ortlieb has served as the principal investigator on numerous federal, state and organizational grants aimed at improving collegiate retention, creating centers of excellence to serve teachers and PK-12 students in rural and marginalized communities across South Carolina, striving to meet the needs of dyslexic students, and using artificial intelligence to advance the ways children learn to read and write. 

He has served as coeditor of the journal Literacy Research and Instruction and publishes the annual What’s Hot in Literacy survey. He has served as an area chair of the Literacy Research Association and remains active in multiple organizations related to literacy education and language acquisition. 

He is the founder and president of the Ortlieb Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides college scholarships for cancer survivors.