Steele Named Interim Dean

Capital University President Theodore Fredrickson has named Athornia Steele interim dean of the Law School, effective June 15, 2003. Steele replaces Steven C. Bahls who has been dean of the Law School since 1994 and will become president of Augustana College in Rock Island, IL on July 1, 2003.

Steele, a graduate of Capital University (1974) and of the Law School (1977), has been the associate dean of academic affairs since 1997. He is a former Assistant Attorney General of the State of Ohio, and has been a member of the Capital University Law School faculty since 1980. From 1984 to 1986, Steele was a visiting professor at Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Steele has been extensively involved in the work of his church - the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). He is currently completing a six-year term on the board of trustees for the ELCA Foundation. He has served on the Churchwide Council of the ELCA and a member of its executive committee, membership on the Advisory Committees on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Offices of Personnel and Ecumenical Affairs. He also has served on the board of trustees of the Lutheran Academy (Faith and Life Forum) and the Trinity Lutheran Seminary, where he was a member of the Academic Affairs Committee.

Steele is active in the legal education community, particularly with respect to student issues. He directed the 1991 CLEO Summer Institute for Region IV hosted at the Law School and the Academic Success Program at Capital. Additionally, he served on both national and regional planning committees for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Academic Support Workshops from 1993-2001. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law School's Section on Academic Support. Steele currently serves on the board of the Law School Admission Council and is a member of its Test Development and Research (TD&R) Committee. Prior to joining TD&R, he was a member of the Minority Affairs and Finance and Legal Affairs committees of LSAC.

Steele teaches Business Associations, Corporate Finance and Securities Regulations. He has a particular interest in governance issues of non-profit organizations.

Professor Myron C. Grauer, who has been on the law faculty since 1990, has been named Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Capital University will be conducting a national search for a new Law School Dean.

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