Days after announcing that Emory College of Arts and Sciences Dean Barbara Krauthamer resigned from her position, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Badia Ahad announced that Emory University has begun a search to find a new dean to lead the Candler School of Theology. The search to replace Mary Lee Hardin Willard Dean Jonathan Strom comes after the University has seen numerous leaders leave their positions over the last two years.
Strom has served as Candler’s dean since June 2024 and will complete his term leading the school this upcoming June.
Laney Graduate School Dean and Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs Kimberly Jacob Arriola (01PH) and Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Theology Ian McFarland will serve as co-chairs in the search for a new Candler dean. The committee includes administrators, faculty, Emory staff, students and Methodist church leaders.
The search initially began in November 2025, with “listening sessions” that included participants from both Candler and the broader Emory community. The University has partnered with Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm, to help find a new dean.
Ahad called the future Candler dean role “critical” for both the theology school as well as the whole university community, given the “deep connection” religion has had to the University. Emory’s roots are tied to the United Methodist Church, as the Georgia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church founded the University in 1836. Ahad acknowledged this history in sharing her excitement for a new leader at Candler.
“I am excited to begin this process as we identify a visionary leader who will advance Candler’s mission, foster theological scholarship and elevate the educational experience of our students,” Ahad said.
McFarland emphasized the importance of choosing a leader who will hold the relationship between religion and academia at the heart of Candler.
“Our goal is to identify a leader who will amplify Candler’s academic mission, maintain and strengthen ties with The United Methodist Church and other churches, bolster student resources and attract and retain eminent faculty,” McFarland said.
Jacob Muscolino (he/him) (28C) is a News Editor at The Emory Wheel. He is from Long Island and plans to major in History and Psychology. Outside of the Wheel, he is involved in Emory Reads and Emory Economics Review. You can often find Jacob watching the newest blockbuster for his Letterboxd, dissecting The New York Times and traveling to the next destination on his bucket list.
