Lopez resigns from CLA dean position

June 30, 2025

A woman wearing a pink blouse
Carrie Baker
On Friday, June 27, Ellen Lopez resigned from her position as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UAF. Lopez will be resuming her faculty role within the psychology department.

Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Charlene Stern wishes to extend her gratitude to Lopez for her work on behalf of °®ÎÛ´«Ã½.

Carrie Baker has been named interim dean of CLA. She has served as CLA’s associate dean since 2021 and as a professor of theatre and film since 2005. She has taught performance classes and directed productions for Theatre/Film °®ÎÛ´«Ã½, and has served as department chair for nearly a decade. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild, with professional acting credits in stage, television and film. Baker has a bachelor’s degree in theatre and English from Middlebury College and an M.F.A. in acting from the University of California, Irvine.

A recruitment to permanently fill the position of CLA dean will be launched in the coming months.