Janet McMahill is the Dean of the School of Education at Drake University, one of the largest programs of its kind in the Midwest. Dr. McMahill is in her 26th year with the university and her 9th year as dean. In her position as dean, Dr. McMahill manages enrollment of undergraduate and graduate programs for more than 700 future educators and leaders, and directs off-campus degree and re-licensure programs for nearly 9,000 current teachers and administrators. In addition to bachelor degrees in elementary and secondary education, the SOE offers masters, specialist, and doctorate degrees in the areas of education leadership, teaching and learning, counseling, and adult learning and organizational performance.
Dr. McMahill’s other responsibilities include overseeing more than 75 faculty and staff in the SOE, maintaining fiduciary control of all SOE budgets, collaborating with university offices on alumni and fund-raising activities, and manage internal and external relationships with local, state and national educational organizations and partners. She is also the Executive Director of the Drake University Drake Head Start, the largest Head Start program in Iowa overseeing the 7 million dollar program to over 30 sites.
Prior to her deanship, Dr. McMahill was a tenured Professor of Education at Drake University. She served as the Associate Dean and the Director of the Extension Education division in the School of Education for 18 years. Before joining Drake, Dr. McMahill was Special Projects Administrator of Iowa Central Community College, and a Curriculum Director of the Fort Dodge Iowa Community School District.
Dr. McMahill has a long record of program and curriculum development in the field of education. Her most recent project involves serving as an External Evaluator of the Federal Grant for Smaller Learning Communities for the five Des Moines, Iowa public high schools. For the last 18 years, she has been a member of the Board of Directors for the United States Distance Learning Association.
Dr. McMahill earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts and her Masters of Science in Education Degrees from Drake University and a Ph.D. from Iowa State University. She has been honored with the Distinguished Service Award from United States Distance Learning Association (1998), the Founder’s Award from the Iowa Distance Learning Association (1996), the Outstanding Young Iowan Award from the Iowa Junior Chamber of Commerce (1985), and as the P.A.C.E. Honor Scholar from Iowa State University (1982). She resides in Ankeny, Iowa where she serves as the Lay Leader of Ankeny First United Methodist Church.