Minnesota State Mankato Names Chris Corley Dean of Library and Learning
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Brian Martensen announced that Chris Corley (pictured) has been named the University’s dean of library and learning, effective immediately, after a national search.
Corley has served as Minnesota State Mankato’s interim dean of library and learning since July 2019. He joined Minnesota State Mankato in 2004 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2007 and professor in 2017.
Martensen said Corley’s experience as director of the Honors Program, faculty chair of the Department of History, work leading University-wide assessment and evaluation processes have prepared him well to serve as the dean of library and learning.
“Dr. Corley has been a passionate user of, and advocate for, libraries, archives and student engagement his entire career,” said Martensen. “Dr. Corley has demonstrated continued commitment to developing our library as a learning commons and center for intellectual inquiry on behalf of the entire campus and the Greater Mankato community.”
Prior to joining Minnesota State Mankato in 2004, Corley held career appointments at Minnesota State University Moorhead and graduate assistantships and fellowships and affiliations with the Purdue Research Foundation and Centre Georges Chevrier at the Université de Bourgogne, in Dijon, France.
Corley earned doctorate and master’s degrees in history from Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania while a student in the university’s honors program.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,546 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
