Alexis Macklin was recently appointed associate dean of the Wayne State University Library System. With over a decade of experience in library administration, Macklin is an expert in human-centered design specifically for change management and strategic planning, and is known internationally for her work on emotional intelligence and information literacy.

Macklin joins Wayne State most recently from Purdue University, where she built an academic library in support of the newly formed Purdue campus. Following this success, she led a team that developed a strategic plan for libraries across Purdue’s three campuses, expanding library services, increasing holdings, and advancing educational and community outreach efforts.

“Alexis has a proven track record as an experienced, innovative leader with expansive knowledge of current academic cultures,” said Jon Cawthorne, dean of the Wayne State University Library System. “She is an accomplished researcher who will offer a unique perspective on emotional intelligence, information literacy and user-centered design, which will advance our creative team at the Wayne State University Library System”

Previous to her role at Purdue, Macklin served in library leadership positions at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh and at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She was also a tenured faculty member at Purdue and has held adjunct faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh, Seton Hill University and Indiana University.

“I look forward to engaging with library staff and faculty in reflection and assessment on how we deliver access and public services, especially as COVID-19 will likely bring a new way of doing our work,” said Macklin. “Overall, I am impressed by the dedication of the librarians and library staff in the WSULS to providing high-quality services to the campus and to the community at large, and to being creative and innovative in a time of crisis.”

Macklin is actively engaged in the library and information sciences landscape. On a regional level, she served on the executive board of directors for the Academic Libraries of Indiana and the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services. Internationally, she serves on the International Association for Computer Information Systems Review Committee.  She has also served at the national level as a reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and in different capacities for the instruction section of the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Macklin has written and co-written multiple publications and has been invited to present and chair sessions at national and international meetings. She has secured multiple awards in the library profession and interdisciplinary fields, including the 2016 Excellence in Leadership Award at the University of Colorado, the Best Paper Award in the pedagogy category at the 49th annual International Association for Computer and Information Systems conference in 2009, and the John H. Moriarty Award for Excellence in Library Service in 2002.      

The Wayne State University Library System consists of the university's five libraries: The David Adamany Undergraduate Library, the Purdy/Kresge Library, the Shiffman Medical Library, the Arthur Neef Law Library and the Reuther Library as well as the School of Information Sciences.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering nearly 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 27,000 students.