Professor Jefferson Singer appointed dean of the College
Jefferson Singer, the Faulk Foundation Professor of Psychology at Connecticut College, has been appointed the new dean of the College, effective July 1.
Singer is an award-winning teacher, scholar and psychotherapist who specializes in the fields of personality and autobiographical memory. He earned a bachelor's degree from Amherst College, then a Master of Science in psychology, a Master of Philosophy in psychology and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yale University. He joined the faculty of Connecticut College in 1988.
He is the author of five books and more than 90 articles, chapters and book reviews. In 2008, he received the Nancy Batson Nisbet Rash Faculty Research Award from the College, presented annually to a faculty member for outstanding scholarly or artistic accomplishments. In 2010, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA) bestowed on him the Henry A. Murray Award in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the study of lives. And in 2013, he and his colleagues in the psychology department received the APA Culture of Service Award, an honor that recognizes a commitment to service in the psychological sciences.
As dean of the College, Singer will be responsible for overseeing the quality of the academic experience for all students. With President Katherine Bergeron and other members of the senior administration, he will address academic priorities related to general education, advising, inclusive excellence, international education, academic support, career advising and life after college. He will also oversee the management and operation of offices and centers that provide advising and support for the academic program on campus and abroad.
During his nearly three decades at Connecticut College, Singer has served the institution in a wide variety of roles: as department chair; as inaugural director of Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy; as chair of the Multicultural Diversity Steering Committee; and as a member of countless College committees. He has also served as a Posse mentor and as an adviser to many student groups.
Most recently, as chair of the Faculty Steering and Conference Committee during the past year, Singer has led the effort to revise the College's approach to general education.
“This effort has revealed Jefferson's extraordinary ability to work collaboratively, find common ground and build consensus,” Bergeron wrote in an announcement to the campus. “One of his main responsibilities as dean of the College will be to oversee the successful implementation of this new curriculum, and so this experience will serve him well.”
May 12, 2015
