DeKALB — Judy Ledgerwood, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean, has moved around a circle of administrative positions for the past 20 years at NIU and has now become the first female dean.

Transitioning from the Department of Anthropology chair to the director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies for the past five years and now to her current position as the dean for the College of Liberal Arts, Ledgerwood has not only served the university, but also its students.

As a cultural anthropologist who did research in Cambodia, Ledgerwood said she came to the university because of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies; it’s one of seven Southeast Asian centers in the U.S.

Ledgerwood started as an Anthropology associate professor in 1996 and has been recognized for many achievements over the course of her professional career, including the 2015 Presidential Engagement Professorship, an award recognizing professors for their excellence in outreach and engagement through student involvement projects.

“We teach five Southeast Asian languages, including Khmer, the Cambodian language,” Ledgerwood said. “So that’s what drew me here, to be able to train students and they could study the language and then go and do research in the region.”

Acting Provost Chris McCord, invited Ledgerwood to apply for the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Science position, among others, but Ledgerwood said her administrative experience most likely contributed to her earning the position.

Legerwood has served as the dean since Aug. 17.

“As director of the center we have large external grants, and so I think budget experience through the grants was probably a factor,” Ledgerwood said.

Eric Jones, Center for Southeast Asian Studies acting director, worked as Ledgerwood’s assistant director before she became dean and said she has a strong vision but is also willing and able to hear alternate perspectives.

Jones said Ledgerwood is well-balanced in terms of ambition and being human, allowing her to build efficiency within people without needing to micromanage.

“She’s got a strong vision but also is willing to hear input, to hear even feedback and alternate perspectives and approaches, which is a bit unique to strong managers,” Jones said.

Jones said Ledgerwood is able to understand the different positions and advocate for those in such positions at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences because of her diverse background as a department chair and director of different programs.

Ledgerwood acts like the voice of students and faculty at the university, Jones said, and is willing to represent their perspectives and inputs. Jones also said with Ledgerwood’s unique combination of administrative positions and department positions she is able to effectively communicate in both directions.

“She’s one of the most respected leaders of substance at the university,” Jones said.

Ledgerwood said part of her earning the Presidential Engagement Professorship was because of her work with the Cambodian American Heritage Museum in Chicago where NIU students created an exhibit using interviews they did with Cambodians.

“Another big component of my engagement over the years has been running the field schools in Cambodia, so I take NIU students to Cambodia in the summers, and I ran a research project on the re-establishment of Cambodian buddhism,” Ledgerwood said.

Colleen Gray, Center for Southeast Asian Studies outreach and advising, said she thinks Ledgerwood is “the queen of diplomacy” who sees others at the human level rather than as a number she is in charge of.

“She sees the impact and the anthropological training that she provides to this job,” Gray said. “When you’re an anthropologist, you’re taught how to look at things holistically.”

Gray said she worked with Ledgerwood for years, and she has never failed to come through because she’s tough and always able to remain calm and collected in trying situations.

“You know that nothing bad can happen when you’re with her, and if she’s on your side, you’re going to be okay,” Gray said.

Ledgerwood said her experiences as a student studying countries in Asia altered her perspective on the world, and being able to provide the same opportunities for students has been extremely rewarding.

“You know, I’m a cultural anthropologist at heart, and so a lot of the different projects that I do are in some way tied to improving cultural understanding across different groups, and that’s probably at the heart of a lot of what I do,” Ledgerwood said.