Columbia College Provost and Senior Vice President Dr. Piyusha Singh announced today that Dr. Jennifer Jewell has been named dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) following a nationwide search. Dr. Jewell will assume the position on July 1, 2022, and Dr. Sandra Hamar will continue to serve as interim dean of HASS until then.
“Dr. Jewell’s in-depth experience in the various learning opportunities we showcase here at Columbia College, especially online degree offerings and our relationship with the military, make her the ideal candidate for this position,” said Singh. “Our School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences is at the heart of the liberal arts offerings CC is known for and we look forward to Dr. Jewell partnering with departments across campus to increase enrollment and expand programs in HASS.”
In Jewell’s role as dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, she will oversee the programs in the following academic departments: Criminal Justice Administration, History, Philosophy, & Political Science; Education; Language & Communication Studies; Human Services, Psychology, and Sociology; and Visual Arts & Music.
“The opportunity to be part of the Columbia College community and serve the students and faculty in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences is truly an honor,” said Jewell. “Throughout the interview process, I felt a sense of cohesion amongst the various team members I spoke with, which was encouraging. I appreciate the confidence President Russell and Dr. Singh have in me and I look forward to getting to work as the new year begins.”
Jewell has most recently served as professor and Director of the School of Social Work at Salisbury University (SU) on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, where she joined the faculty in 2014. At SU, the School of Social Work has provided both undergraduate and graduate education on its main campus, four satellite campuses across Maryland, online, and in Europe through a partnership program option for military-connected students. Prior to the position as director, she served as the undergraduate program chair and the graduate program chair.
With over seven years of academic leadership, she has helped to increase enrollment in both the graduate and undergraduate programs, develop innovative student support programming, and expand the School and University’s work on diversity and equity issues, earning her the 2021 Presidential Diversity Award. Jewell received her Ph.D. in social work in 2008 from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky. She taught at Spalding University in Louisville for seven years prior to moving to Maryland.
