Kay Mussell joined American University in 1974 and has held multiple positions, including Professor of Literature and American Studies; Director of the American Studies, College Writing, and Honors Programs; Associate Dean positions in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs; and CAS Dean. She became Interim Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs on June 11, 2009.

Dean Mussell holds a BA in English and an MA and PhD in American Civilization from the University of Iowa. She is the author of Women's Gothic and Romantic Fiction: A Reference Guide and Fantasy and Reconciliation: Contemporary Formulas of Women's Romance Fiction. She co-edited two essay collections: Ethnic and Regional Foodways in the United States: The Performance of Group Identity and North American Romance Writers. She has also published articles and book reviews on women's popular culture, American foodways, and higher education.

A multiple American University award winner, Mussell has received the CAS: Faculty-Administrator Award (1996) and Contributions to Academic Development (1990). In 2007, she was honored by the University of Iowa with a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.