"The Rose and the Machine"

Featuring Dennis M. Kratz, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Texas at Dallas

Dennis M. Kratz is Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he joined the faculty as Professor of Literary Studies in 1978.  In addition, from 1979-96 he was co-director of the university's Center for Translation Studies.  Beginning in 1979, Dr. Kratz was elected to four terms as Speaker of the Faculty Senate.  From 1987-89 he served as President of the American Literary Translators Association.  In 1994 he was appointed Dean of Undergraduate Studies and in 1997 was named to his current position as the School’s Dean.  Currently he is also President-elect of the Texas Association of Deans of Liberals Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Kratz received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College in 1963.  He earned his M.A. in Classical Studies in 1964, and his Ph.D. in Medieval Latin, both from Harvard University, in 1970.  He began his teaching career, while still in graduate school, at the Roxbury Latin School in Boston.  He has also taught at Simmons College and Ohio State University.

As Dean of Arts and Humanities, Dr. Kratz has fostered the development of an interdisciplinary curriculum that fuses the arts with the humanities, critical with creative thought, theory with practice, and the university with the community. During this time enrollment in the School of Arts and Humanities has more than tripled.

Under his leadership the School added a visionary academic program in Arts and Technology ATEC) that in 2007 received two prestigious awards: the Innovation in Education award from The University of Texas System and the Tech Titan of the Future award from the Metroplex Technology Business Council.

In addition to his scholarly interests, Dr. Kratz has published and lectured widely and conducted many workshops on educational issues.  He has published four books and numerous articles ranging from scholarly investigations of epic poetry and the changing concept of heroism to a practical manual for developing listening skills.  A popular teacher and speaker, he received the 1992 University of Texas System Chancellor's Council Outstanding Teaching Award.