Originally from Winchester, Indiana, Dean Welch came to Wabash in the fall of 1995. He majored in Spanish, minored in psychology, and graduated with certification to teach high school Spanish. As part of his Spanish major, Welch studied abroad in Valencia, Spain. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, Psi Chi, and worked in the Admissions Office. Welch graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in May 1999.
After graduation, he taught high school Spanish for seven years, four of those years at Crawfordsville High School. He completed graduate work in the teaching of Spanish at IUPUI, which included two summers at the University of Salamanca in Spain.
In 2006, Welch returned to Wabash to work in the Enrollment Office. Combining experience within secondary and higher ed, he joined the Department of Education Studies in 2011. In 2013, Welch was named the Associate Dean of Students, the position he currently holds. This position gives him the opportunity to work with students in many ways along with all departments across campus and with alumni off campus. In his role as Associate Dean of Students, Welch mainly works with housing (both independent and fraternity).
Welch met his wife, Kelli, while a student at Wabash. They were married at the Wabash College Chapel in 2002. They have three children, Madi, Blake, and Aaron, and a miniature golden-doodle. Most of his time is spent at Wabash or the kids’ various activities. He enjoys traveling—including a trip to Spain this summer. Welch tries to run as often as possible, managing a half-marathon each year and the Chicago Marathon a few times in recent years.