President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Daniel Diermeier have announced the appointment of Anne Walters Robertson as the dean of the Division of the Humanities following the resignation of previous Dean Martha Roth during controversial budget cuts. Her appointment will begin on April 1, 2017.

“It has been a privilege working alongside students and faculty in the Division of the Humanities for over 30 years,” said Robertson, who is the Claire Dux Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Music, in a statement to UChicago News. “And it is an honor to now serve as its dean and continue the academic advancement of the humanities.” 

Since joining University of Chicago’s Department of Music in 1984, Robertson has held leadership positions both within and outside of the University, serving as deputy provost for research and education, chair of the music department, and president of the American Musicological Society.

Her research at the University centers on the liturgical and secular music of the late Middle Ages and how their interactions influenced medieval spirituality, architecture, and politics. Robertson is also the first scholar to receive all three honors of the Medieval Academy of America: the Haskins Medal (2006), the John Nicholas Brown Prize (1995), and the Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize (1987).