King University has welcomed Paul Macdonald, Ph.D., as Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Macdonald comes to King from the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he served for a dozen years as a professor in the Department of Philosophy, including five years as the William Lyon Endowed Chair in Professional Ethics. Previously, he served as a professor in the Department of Religion at Bucknell University, as a Visiting Fellow in the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton, and as the Arthur J. Ennis Postdoctoral Fellow at Villanova University.

Macdonald has taught a wide range of courses over the course of his career in the areas of philosophy, religion, and theology. He also has been an active scholar in his field, publishing three books and numerous articles and essays on important topics such as the relationship between faith and reason and the place of theological study in higher education.

Macdonald also brings a rich leadership skillset to the position of Dean, forged through his contributions at both Bucknell and the U.S. Air Force Academy. During his tenure at Bucknell, he was sub-chair of Bucknell’s Honors Council, served on the Curriculum and Faculty Development committees, and collaborated with colleagues at several other colleges on a multi-year project sponsored by the Teagle Foundation that explored the role of big questions surrounding meaning, purpose, and value within the liberal arts.

At the U.S. Air Force Academy, Macdonald directed both the Religious Studies minor and served as Course Director for the Academy’s core class on ethics.  He also led the Academy’s Ethics and Respect for Human Dignity educational outcome team.

“Dr. Macdonald’s distinguished career and lifelong sense of curiosity reflect his passion for pursuits in scholarship as well as character,” said Matt Roberts Ed.D., provost at King. “His extensive background in education, philosophy, and religion will serve as a beacon for our students, faculty, and staff, and we are honored to welcome him to King.”

“I am glad to be joining the King community and serving as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,” Macdonald said. “As a committed educator within the liberal arts, I look forward to promoting and building the study of the liberal arts at King, as well as furthering King’s mission as a Christian liberal arts institution and academic community.”

Macdonald earned his bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy and English Literature from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois; his master’s in Religion at Yale University Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut; and his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

His appointment as Dean follows the retirement of Glenn Sanders, Ph.D., who now serves as Director of Christian Formation at King.