Richard Sévère has been named dean of the College of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences at Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, Indiana. He comes to his new role from Valparaiso University in Indiana, where he serves as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a professor of English whose scholarship focuses on medieval literature and professional writing. His research on equity in writing education contributed to his co-edited book, Out in the Center: Public Controversies and Private Struggles (Utah State University Press, 2019).
An HBCU graduate, Dr. Sévère received his bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in English literature education from Florida A&M University. He holds a Ph.D. in medieval literature from Purdue University.
Monica Carson Sheriff has been named dean of students at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She brings over a decade of higher education experience to her new role, including expertise in student engagement, residence life, program development, budgeting, and conflict and crisis management. Most recently, she was director of residence life at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Earlier, she held student affairs roles with Cabrini University and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
Sheriff is a graduate of historically Black Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, where she majored in political science with a minor in psychology and a concentration in public administration. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management with a concentration in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston.
Christopher Jenkins has been appointed dean of the Conservatory of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Since 2014, he has served as associate dean for academic support at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio. An accomplished violist, he has performed on broadway and with several prestigious ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic. He is the author of Assimilation v. Integration in Music Education: Leading Change Toward Greater Equity (Routledge, 2023).
Dr. Jenkins holds a bachelor’s degree in music and psychology from Harvard University, a master of music degree in viola from the New England Conservatory of Music, a master’s degree in international relations from Columbia University, a doctor of musical arts degree in viola performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Ph.D. in musicology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
Agya Boakye-Boaten has been named the inaugural dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the State University of New York at Geneseo. For the past 15 years, he has been a professor of Africana studies and of interdisciplinary studies at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. During his tenure, he has served as chair of the interdisciplinary studies program and dean of humanities, arts, and social sciences. He is the author of Understanding the Street Children Phenomenon (VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K, 2008).
Dr. Boakye-Boaten is a graduate of the University of Ghana, Legon, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in social work and political science. He holds two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in educational studies with an emphasis in cultural studies from Ohio University.
