MONTICELLO, Ark. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) has announced the appointment of Dr. Steven Harper as dean of the UAM School of Arts and Humanities. Dr. Harper comes to UAM from Georgia Southern University, where he has served as a professor of Music and the chair of the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music since 2014.
Crystal Halley, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at UAM, stated that Dr. Harper’s extensive administrative experience, his long academic career and his broad knowledge of the arts make him superbly qualified to lead the diverse faculty and the broad-ranging programs of the School of Arts and Humanities. “Dr. Harper is joining UAM at an exciting time of innovation and expansion, and I am confident that his demonstrated creativity and collaborative management style will serve him well.”
Dr. Harper holds a Doctor of Philosophy in music theory from the University of Texas at Austin. He also has a Master of Music from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville. Vice Chancellor Halley pointed out that, in addition to his administrative experience, he is an accomplished teacher at both the graduate and undergraduate levels and has many publications and conference presentations.
The School of Arts and Humanities houses undergraduate programs in art, communication, English, foreign languages and music, as well as graduate programs in creative writing, debate and communication, English and jazz studies.
Dr. Harper stated that he looks forward to joining the UAM family. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity to work with the talented and accomplished faculty at UAM and to oversee the vibrant programs in the School of Arts and Humanities, all of which have the potential for tremendous growth.”
Dr. Harper’s appointment begins July 1.