Katherine Aiken, Dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences is a 20th century U. S. historian with an emphasis in social and cultural history, women and labor. As an historian, she is the author of three books and is an active speaker who is well known and often invited to speak throughout the Pacific Northwest. As the Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, Aiken oversees the largest academic division of the University of Idaho, with nearly 4,100 students in eleven departments, and also has administrative responsibility of the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, the McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the Martin Institute. Dean Aiken has also won numerous teaching awards which include the ASUI Outstanding Faculty Award, the University of Idaho Award for Teaching Excellence and has received the Alumni Award for Excellence five times. In addition, she was a leader in establishing the current University of Idaho General Education Core Curriculum that includes a Core Discovery program.
