Regis College has named Kathryn Edney, PhD, as the new dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Edney began her career at Regis as an adjunct faculty member in 2010, and has since served in many roles, including graduate program director of Heritage Studies, associate dean of Academic Assessment, and most recently, interim dean of Arts and Sciences.
“Dr. Edney is committed to liberal arts as the hallmark of a Regis education and dedicated to preparing students for success,” said Regis President Antoinette Hays, PhD, RN. “Her vision for the future of Arts and Sciences includes expanding our offerings with new and exciting programs like cybersecurity and environmental sustainability.”
Edney has written numerous publications, including her book Teaching History with Musicals (2017), and has presented nationwide at theatre, cultural studies, and museum studies conferences. She is a member of several professional societies including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (serving as member-at-large for operations to the governing council), and the Popular Culture Association. She also serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Popular Culture.
Edney was a key member of the Title III project resulting in a $2.2 million grant to the university from the U.S. Department of Education in 2016. The grant supports Regis’ commitment to undergraduate student retention and degree completion. She currently oversees Academic Computing and serves as the principal investigator for the Davis Educational Foundation Grant, “From Idea to Ideal: Activating the Potential of the E-Portfolio.” In addition, Edney has chaired and co-chaired many committees and taskforces at Regis including the shared governance taskforce, assessment committee, curriculum and academic policies committee, and search committees.
“I am privileged to lead the School of Arts and Sciences that is foundational to the education of every Regis undergraduate student,” said Edney. “I am very excited to work with faculty, students and industry partners to strengthen our STEM, Humanities, and Education programs and lead efforts to develop new programs for the next generation of students."
Prior to Regis, Edney was associate registrar at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. She has held numerous teaching roles at Plymouth State University and University of New England. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in cultural anthropology at Hampshire College, her master of arts at University of Southern Maine-Portland, and doctor of philosophy at Michigan State University.
