The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) announced this week that Sheila Yeh, Ph.D., has been selected as the next dean of University Libraries. 

Yeh comes to UNC from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she served as the associate vice provost for University Libraries and Strategic Program Development since 2021. She brings over 35 years of experience in academic and public libraries and library consortia. 

Aligned with UNC’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Yeh’s personal goals are focused on “reinvigorating academic libraries’ service models to support students with diverse backgrounds.” During her time at St. Thomas, she worked with campus units to promote student diversity and inclusion services in the libraries with the goals of increasing student retention and creating a sense of belonging.  

Among Yeh’s other key accomplishments are implementing organizational improvements to modernize library services and meet engagement needs for faculty and students, while working collaboratively with campus partners to promote scholarly communication, faculty profile and research and data management support. 

Yeh also brings strengths in strategic planning and leadership. At St. Thomas, she served as chair of the Library Advisory Committee comprising faculty and students where she helped to establish the Libraries’ three-year strategic plan that was aligned with the university’s mission and vision. Previously, as associate professor and associate dean for Collections, Discovery and Information Technology at Kansas State University, Yeh helped lead efforts to ensure strategic advancement and operational success. 

“We were fortunate to have numerous well-qualified candidates interested in the position of dean of the University Libraries. Dr. Yeh was selected as our next dean because of her commitment to the importance of shared governance, progressive library leadership experiences and her ability to both plan and implement strategic initiatives,” said Jordan Barkley, vice provost for Academic Resources and Faculty Affairs.  

“I am confident that Dr. Yeh will assist our university libraries’ faculty and staff to efficiently meet the needs of our current and future students.”     

Yeh brings extensive experience from her library positions at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, University of Denver, University of Colorado - Anschutz Medical Campus, Ohio Library and Information Network, Online Library Computer Center and the Columbus Metropolitan Library. 

A self-described lifelong learner, Yeh earned a doctoral degree in Computer Science and Information Systems from the University of Colorado Denver; two master's degrees, one in Industrial and Human Factors Engineering from Wright State University and the other in Library and Information Science from the University of Maryland; and two bachelor’s degrees, one in Computer Science from Franklin University and the other in Foreign Language and Literature from Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. Yeh recently completed a Business Analytics Bootcamp certificate from the University of Minnesota. 

“I am honored and excited to be joining the UNC community,” said Yeh. “The dedication to education excellence for diverse populations aligns with my beliefs and values. I look forward to contributing to the success of the Rowing, Not Drifting 2030 strategic plan with the talented and committed library faculty and staff.”    

Yeh officially starts her position at UNC on July 1. She succeeds Jayne Blodgett who has been serving as interim dean since August 2022, after former dean of University Libraries Jennifer Nutefall left the university.