Dear Arts and Science friends:

In the College of Arts and Science, we encourage students to take chances—to stretch beyond their comfort zones. This month, I acted on that counsel as well. As some of you may have heard, during the summer ahead I will depart Vanderbilt, where I have spent fourteen happy years, to take the role of provost of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

The decision was difficult and my feelings are bittersweet. While I look forward to new challenges at Dartmouth, I will miss the Vanderbilt community and my work here.

I am proud of all we’ve accomplished in my time as dean of the College of Arts and Science. I’ve enjoyed teaching brilliant students, working with outstanding faculty, and furthering initiatives that benefit the school, its students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni.

One such initiative is the new Mellon Partners for Humanities Education program, funded by a $1.475 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It allows us to start several programs in partnership with Berea College, Tennessee State University, and Tougaloo College, and to expand training for faculty and new Ph.D. students.

The program will prepare new Vanderbilt doctoral alumni to meet the needs of liberal arts colleges and historically black colleges and universities. At the same time, professors from all four partner schools will conduct on-campus residencies to advance shared learning. In the digital and public humanities component, faculty and graduate students will explore humanities scholarship through digital technology that deepens and broadens public engagement.

We’ll send the first group of new Ph.D.’s to our partner schools in the fall. You’ll hear more about the collaboration as details are finalized.

This exciting program, and others like it, will continue and grow, expanding teaching, discoveries, and scholarship. The College of Arts and Science is more than one dean, one person, one program. It is active, evolving, and powered by excellence. In the spirit of Vanderbilt for Life, I look forward to seeing all that Arts and Science accomplishes in the years to come.

Best regards,

Carolyn Dever

Other Arts and Science stories

David Lewis is quoted on NPR about loyalty and betrayal in politics, Science News selects research by Robert Brucker and Seth Bordenstein as its story of the year, and media outlets share how philosophy major Cody Stothers went from being born in prison to earning a full scholarship to Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s dual M.D./Ph.D. program.