Provost Diddams’ Wheaton story began in 1979, when she enrolled at Wheaton for its “robust academics,” noting she also “wanted to go to a Christian college where I could live out my faith within the context of Christian community.” 

Dr. Diddams was part of the swim and field hockey teams, served as news director for WETN, and participated in Student Government where she met her husband Stan ’82. After attaining M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from New York University, Dr. Diddams spent 20 years at Seattle Pacific University in various roles on both undergraduate and graduate faculty and within administration. She says being back at Wheaton is like “coming home.” 

“I love Wheaton’s sense of community,” Dr. Diddams says. “Even when you ‘step away’ you never really do. After I graduated I have always considered myself a Wheatie.” 

Academically, Dr. Diddams looks forward to “graduating undergraduate as well as graduate students who have a robust theological and biblical understanding grounded in the liberal arts and their disciplines which prepares them to build the church and benefit society worldwide.” 

“I love students who love learning and are willing to humble themselves and be transformed for the sake of the gospel,” Dr. Diddams says. “I am also in awe of the caliber of faculty here. For a school of this size to have the impact that it does has to be of the Lord. I’m grateful to be a part of that.” Dr. Diddams succeeded Dr. Stanton Jones HON as provost on June 1.