Longtime College of Education Dean David Monk announced Friday he plans to step down as dean after the spring semester — but not before also committing a $1.5 million estate gift to the college alongside his wife and communications professor Pam Monk. Monk’s resignation will be effective June 30, 2019.

“I have been delighted to be part of the Penn State College of Education, and to see the wonderful things our faculty, staff, and students have accomplished here over the past 20 years,” Monk said. “I’m very proud of the advances we’ve made in teaching, research and service, and also in the areas of diversity and inclusion, in the college.”

Monk became dean of the College of Education in 1999 after spending 20 years at Cornell University. He previously taught in visiting capacities at the University of Rochester, the University of Burgundy in Dijon, France, and National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. He has also taught third grade.

The estate gift will be split into two parts meant to work in tandem: $1 million to endow a named professorship and $500,000 to endow a program supporting the work of a new Center for the Story. The named professor will serve as a leader for the center.

“While we are hoping our estates will not ‘mature’ for quite some time, we also hope it will be possible for the center to begin to function sooner rather than later,” Monk said. “We are exploring ways to make annual contributions to help launch activities and welcome ideas about how this might be accomplished.”

After stepping down as dean of the college, Monk plans to return to the Department of Education Policy Studies for a phased retirement as a faculty member.

Penn State will immediately launch a national search for the next dean of the college.