Brett Buchanan named new dean of arts and humanities

“Brett Buchanan has been appointed dean of Western’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities. A philosopher with broad interdisciplinary interests, Buchanan comes to Western from Concordia University of Edmonton, where he has served as dean of arts since 2022 and, for the past year, also as interim dean of science. Along with his decanal experience, he brings teaching and research expertise in contemporary continental philosophy, ethics, environmental humanities and animal studies. Buchanan, MA’99, earned his master’s degree through Western’s Centre for the Study of Theory and Criticism , one of the oldest and most established programs of its kind in North America. He returned to the centre in 2021–22 academic year as a visiting fellow . “We’re delighted to welcome Brett back to Western,” said Florentine Strzelczyk, provost and vice-president (academic). “Throughout his past two decades in postsecondary education, he has established a strong research background in the humanities, a collaborative leadership style and a demonstrated commitment to building community among faculty, staff, administrators and students.” Buchanan will assume his new role at Western on August 15, for a five-year term. “It’s exciting to be coming back to Western,” Buchanan said. “I loved my time there as a student. It was a wonderful experience. The campus is beautiful and the community is fantastic.” Ileana Paul, professor of French studies and linguistics, has served as acting dean of arts and humanities since July 2024. In a memo to faculty and staff, Strzelczyk thanked Paul for her leadership and members of the dean selection committee for their service. Building relationships, community connections Buchanan, born in Nashville, Tenn., grew up in Ottawa. In high school, his family moved to Edmonton, where he earned his BA in psychology at the University of Alberta. After graduating from Western with his master’s degree in theory and criticism, Buchanan earned his PhD in philosophy from DePaul University in Chicago. He then joined Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., where he taught for 15 years, holding roles including professor, chair of philosophy and inaugural director of Laurentian’s School of the Environment from 2014 to 2020. During his tenure as director, Buchanan organized a landmark symposium on species extinction that drew scholars, artists and writers, including Margaret Atwood, and hosted a virtual classroom featuring environmentalist David Suzuki. “I like to bring people to campus and connect faculty, staff and students to create a community, build relationships and a sense of belonging.” – Brett Buchanan, incoming dean of Faculty of Arts and Humanities Beyond campus, he served seven years on the board of Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival and participated in multiple Science Café events at Science North , Sudbury’s public science centre. Environmental humanities scholar A successful Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada grant recipient, Buchanan has also attracted research fellowships in Australia, France and Scotland as an expert in environmental humanities. The interdisciplinary field bridges the humanities (literature, history, philosophy and the arts) with environmental sciences to address challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. While the concept has roots going back centuries, it has only emerged as an academic discipline over the past 20 years. “It’s a very broad outlook on the traditional disciplines contributing to and thinking about the environment,” said Buchanan, who has worked alongside three pioneers in the field: late anthropologist Deborah Bird Rose, the leading force of environmental humanities in Australia, Thom van Dooren and Matthew Chrulew. Rose and van Dooren also co-founded the journal Environmental Humanities , and Buchanan has been an early contributor and active collaborator with them. “I was always interested in the big picture of what it means to be human, and the questions and literature I was engaging with were looking at how we’re human in relationship to the ‘more than human’ world,” said Buchanan, past president of the Association for Literature, Environment and Culture in Canada. “We’re human in so far as we’re informed by our relations with nonhuman animals, our technologies, and the natural and spiritual worlds.” Passionate advocate for the arts, ‘a humanities guy, through and through’ With climate change and artificial intelligence reshaping every aspect of our lives, Buchanan said there’s immense value in an arts and humanities education, one that equips students to create, think critically and engage with the STEM fields. “I am a passionate advocate for the arts and a humanities guy through and through,” Buchanan said. “Today, more than ever, students are looking for solutions to the issues we are facing, and arts graduates can make valuable contributions.” When asked about the impact of artificial intelligence, Buchanan said he is “optimistic.” “I think with the advance of artificial intelligence, the arts and humanities will fare better,” he said. “It’s a tool that will continue to grow and adapt and change, and humans along with it, but it doesn’t take away from what an arts education provides, including how we make sense of our place in the world — past, present and future — and the values we wish to uphold.” That perspective, he adds, is grounded in the idea that we have always been more than human through our environments, bodies, thoughts and stories. The enduring value of the arts and humanities lies in the human qualities technology cannot replicate. “ We can’t forget that we’re human. We’re still thinking, feeling, sentient beings who have doubts, fears, anxieties, desires, morals, imaginative wonder and so much more. All of this allows us to make sense of, and give back to, the world that we’re living in .” – Brett Buchanan, incoming dean of Faculty of Arts and Humanities Buchanan said the ability to reflect critically is increasingly important during these rapidly changing and often turbulent times. “To question, doubt or feel uncertain about new technologies, for example, is a fundamentally human position,” he said. “The arts give us narratives and unique methodologies to make sense of our changing times and think through where we’re headed. It’s that aspect of hope that has always been, and will continue to be, present for us.” The post Brett Buchanan named new dean of arts and humanities appeared first on Western News .

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