New Dean Appointment for St. Thomas More College

Dr. Carl N. Still (PhD) president of St. Thomas More College (STM) is pleased to announce that Dr. Sarah Knudson (PhD) has been appointed as the next Dean of STM for a five-year term, effective July 1, 2026.

The Dean is the senior academic officer of St. Thomas More College (STM) and a key member of the College’ senior administrative team. The Dean oversees the College’s academic programs and planning, faculty recruitment and career development, student services, and the Dean’s office. The STM Dean serves as a key liaison with the Dean and Vice-Deans of USask’s College of Arts and Science.

Knudson received her Honours Baccalaureate in Sociology in 2005 from the University of Ottawa. She then completed her MA (2006) and PhD (2012) in Sociology from the University of Toronto.

Knudson began her career at STM in 2012 as Assistant Professor of Sociology and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2017. She was promoted to Full Professor earlier this year.

Knudson is an accomplished teacher and scholar, with noted strengths in teaching, research, and student supervision. Over the course of her 14 years at STM, she has taught 11 courses in Sociology and Interdisciplinary Studies, three of which she created. She has supervised 11 undergraduate and four graduate students and served on 15 graduate students’ advisory committees. Knudson is the co-editor of Committing Sociology, which is widely used as a core sociology text in Canadian universities. She has received nominations for both the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Award and the STM Teaching Excellence Award.

Knudson conducts research on families, gender, intimate relationships, and life transitions. In addition to the sociology textbook, she has authored or co-authored nine book chapters and 20 refereed articles in scholarly journals. Knudson has held multiple internal and external research grants, including SSHRC Insight Development Grants. She is frequently sought after for media interviews about her work on relationships and has made more than 60 presentations in scholarly and public contexts.

Knudson also brings significant administrative experience to the Dean’s role, including serving as STM Department Head of Sociology from 2017-2023. She has also chaired STM’s Indigenous Search Committee, Tenure and Promotions Committee, Research Committee, and Committee for the Minor in Critical Perspectives on Social Justice and the Common Good. Knudson has served on the Bylaws Committee of the College of Arts and Science and on the Teaching and Graduate Studies committees of the USask Department of Sociology. She has also served as STM’s representative to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Sociological Association.

STM’s Board of Governors and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Appointment of the Dean are confident that Dr. Knudson will provide strong leadership to the College’s academic mission and be a steadfast champion of the value and importance of a high-quality liberal arts education. As she takes on this position, Knudson will have full support of the College’s senior leadership team as she directs the academic work of our faculty and students.

The official Installation will take place September 9, 2026, at St. Thomas More College.

St. Thomas More College is Saskatoon’s Catholic liberal arts college, federated and academically integrated with the University of Saskatchewan. Approximately 5,700 students are registered in over 230 STM Arts & Science course offerings in 19 subject areas, as part of their USask degrees. The College welcomes students from all backgrounds and values diversity. STM students are challenged to grow intellectually and personally, thinking creatively and critically as they prepare to take their place in the world.