Dr. Anne Henderson Appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

President Patricia McGuire announced the appointment of Dr. Anne Henderson as the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the historic undergraduate women’s college that retains the name Trinity College. Dr. Henderson succeeds Dr. Saundra Herndon Oyewole who has served Trinity as Dean of the College and Dean of the Faculty, and will return to teaching biology and pursuing her professional and scholarly interests in microbiology and the preparation of students for careers in the health professions.

anne_henderson.jpgDr. Henderson has served Trinity for two years as the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. In that capacity, Dr. Henderson has been responsible for a number of academic initiatives, including academic assessments, course scheduling and calendar management, the Intelligence Studies program, the Study Abroad program, and many other details in academic administration. She played a key role in Trinity’s Middle States Self-Study for accreditation and recent team visit.

Dr. Henderson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she studied government and was elected to Phi Be ta Kappa, and she earn ed her Ph.D. at Yale University in political science. Dr. Henderson taught for seven years as an assistant professor at the College of William and Mary, and then for five years at Gardner-Webb University at the associate professor level. She was also a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, elections supervisor in Bosnia, and a program officer for the United States Institute of Peace.

Dr. Henderson’s distinguished fellowships and grants reflect her broad intellectual strengths and expertise in international affairs: she has been selected for fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Pew Foundation, Mellon Fellowship at Brookings, American Council of Learned Societies, and American Association of University Women; she has received grants from the Woodrow Wilson Center, National Council for Soviet and East European Research, Fulbright Program, and International Research and Exchanges Board.

In announcing her appointment, President McGuire said that “Dr. Henderson is quite well-credentialed for the position as Trinity’s dean,” noting that “her careful writing and thoughtful analysis ensured that Trinity’s Middle States Self-Study won the praise and admiration of the visiting team, and the report clearly chronicles our academic development and future directions.” President McGuire also noted that ” Beyond all of these professional accomplishments, Trinity’s faculty in Arts and Sciences readily agree that Dr. Henderson displays the qualities of wisdom, insightfulness, collegiality and compelling leadership that will make her a fine dean.”

College of Arts & Sciences