A longtime federal judge in Kentucky has been selected as the next dean of the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law.
Gregory Van Tatenhove recently accepted the position and is expected to begin July 1, pending approval from the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, according to an announcement from university leaders.
Van Tatenhove has served as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky since 2006. Before joining the federal bench, he was the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and served as chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis.
He also previously worked as a legislative aide for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who nominated him to the federal court in 2005.
Van Tatenhove is a graduate of the University of Kentucky law school and has taught there as an adjunct instructor since 2017, leading a course on sentencing policy and criminal justice.
The law school has been without a permanent dean since 2023, when former dean Mary Davis stepped down after three years in the role. Since then, the college has been led by interim deans, including Paul Salamanca and later James C. Duff.
University officials said Van Tatenhove’s experience in law, public policy and leadership will help guide the college as it continues preparing future lawyers and legal scholars.