Susan Traverso, a former dean at the University of Redlands in southern California, has joined Elizabethtown College as the school's provost and senior vice president.

Traverso said she is proud to be an academic leader at the college.

"I am very impressed with Elizabethtown because the school holds very close to its values," Traverso said. "The school believes that students need to be at the center and puts them at the center."

Traverso began her post July 1.

Elizabethtown College President Ted Long said Traverso will make a wonderful addition to the college community.

"I believe Dr. Traverso will be an exceptional leader for Elizabethtown College," Long said. "And I very much look forward to working with her in the years ahead to achieve our expanding vision for the college."

Traverso said she will work closely with other school administrators to make Elizabethtown a well-known institution throughout the country.

"I want to see the college grow in national prominence, not just in the mid-Atlantic region," Traverso said.

As part of her duties, Traverso will teach an American history course beginning in the spring.

"I think it's important for academic leaders to stay connected with students in the classroom," Traverso said. "I love to teach, and I love to work with young people."

Prior to working at Redlands, where she also was an associate professor of history, Traverso was a faculty member at North Central College, Naperville, Ill., where she was the chair of the history department and led campus efforts to develop curriculum and assessment initiatives.

The author of "Welfare Politics in Boston, 1910-40," Traverso is a historian of urban politics and 20th-century social policy.

The book, published by the University of Massachusetts in 2003, explores the influence of ethnic politics on Boston's growing welfare programs.

Traverso said she decided to become an educator because of her experience as a consultant for colleges and universities.

"I believe that in college, students enlarge their horizons, find innovation for society and exhibit freedom of thought," Traverso said. "It's a place where different people come together with different ideas."

In addition to her experience in higher education, Traverso directed Peace Corps training programs in Yemen in 1990 and Bulgaria in 1991. She also oversaw the study abroad program at the University of Redlands, as well as the school's campus in Salzburg, Austria. Traverso began her international experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco in the early 1990s.

Traverso said she hopes to bring more international programs to Elizabethtown.

"I'm committed to international global initiatives for students," she said.

Traverso also has had leadership positions with the Associated New American Colleges, a national consortium of 22 comprehensive universities committed to the integration of liberal education, professional studies and civic engagement.

E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com