Caltech Chooses New VP for Student Affairs

Caltech has named Kevin M. Gilmartin, the current dean of undergraduate students, the next vice president for student affairs.

Gilmartin, Caltech’s William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of English, will assume the role on September 15. He will succeed Joseph E. Shepherd, the C.L. “Kelly” Johnson Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering.

Shepherd was appointed Caltech’s VPSA in 2015 after serving for six years as dean of graduate studies.

“Kevin has demonstrated a keen interest and commitment to student welfare in and outside of the classroom,” Caltech president Thomas F. Rosenbaum said in announcing Gilmartin’s appointment.

Gilmartin earned his undergraduate degree in English from Oberlin College and both his master’s and doctoral degrees in English from the University of Chicago.

He joined Caltech as an assistant professor in 1991, was named an associate professor of literature in 1997, and an associate professor of English in 2004. He was named professor in 2007, appointed dean of undergraduate students in 2016, and named the Kenan Professor in 2018.

“I welcomed the move from the humanities classroom to the undergraduate dean’s office as an opportunity to support and work with students in new ways,” says Gilmartin. “My years as dean have certainly fulfilled those expectations. What I have come to appreciate too is the extraordinary effort and commitment that goes into shaping the student experience at Caltech, particularly among student leaders and professional staff. I look forward to the opportunity to continue these important partnerships as VPSA.”

Gilmartin is an expert on social and political developments in British literature and print culture during the 18th and 19th centuries, with a current focus on the study of shifting representations of rural poverty. He is the author of three books, and his articles have appeared in several edited volumes and in numerous journals.