From the Class of 1999 to elementary school, Carolynne Krusi is involved with every level of education.
The new dean of the Class of 1999 filled the position recently vacated by Kate Burke, who replaced Dan Nelson as dean of upper-class students when he became acting dean of the College.
Former Dean of the College Lee Pelton resigned last year to take over as president of Willamette University.
Krusi said her new job "entails opportunities to help students think through the ways in which their Dartmouth lives will feed into their later lives."
She works with students to schedule the courses they want to take and helps students address academic and personal problems by identifying resources for dealing with them, she said.
"I really enjoy working with students, especially Dartmouth students. I am constantly delighted by their insight and their enthusiasm for all aspects of life -- academic, athletic and social," Krusi said.
She first became involved with the College in 1983 as assistant dean of residential life, holding the position for several years before taking time off to have children.
Krusi returned to Dartmouth two years ago to temporarily replace Lisa Thum as the dean of the Class of 1998. She said the College asked her to replace Kate Burke based on her previous work as dean.
Krusi's passion for education extends beyond the College.
"I do love education at all levels," she said. "It's interesting to me how higher education is often woven in with various other levels."
She has published two books for elementary and secondary education: "How High Is Up?: Curriculum Infusion Ideas for Middle School" and an arts and crafts book called "Create."
She said she is also currently involved with an elementary school writing project in which she works with teachers and volunteers to publish stories written by the students. Copies of the books are provided in the schools' libraries.
"The idea is that this encourages them to follow through and write more seriously if they're interested," Krusi said.
Krusi lives in Lyme, with her husband, Dartmouth Medical School professor Paul Beisswenger. They have four children, ranging in age from a sophomore at Colgate University to an eight-year-old.
She said she spends her free time watching her children play hockey.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Krusi is a fifth-generation Californian. She majored in psychology at the University of California at Davis and received a master's degree in educational psychology from the University of California at Berkeley.
"I am absolutely delighted to be here, and I hope students will feel welcome to come in and talk," she said. "Sometimes the dean's office can seem a little intimidating -- I hope to make it less so."
