Eileen M. Hayes named dean of the College of Arts and Communication
April 11, 2017
Provost Susan Elrod announced the appointment of Eileen M. Hayes as dean of the College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
"I am so pleased that Dr. Hayes has agreed to serve as the next dean of the College of Arts and Communication," Elrod said. "Her experiences as a faculty member, researcher, musician, administrator and author uniquely position her to lead. I know she will continue the creative drive that makes the college an immersive experiential learning laboratory where students can pursue their passions."
Hayes is currently a professor and chairperson of the Department of Music at Towson University in Maryland, where her responsibilities include budget management, personnel, tenure and promotion, faculty development, student success, marketing and public relations, accreditation, assessment, and oversight of the university's marching band.
"Today more than ever, colleges of arts and communication have a special role to play in the life of the university - indeed, in the well-being of our nation overall," Hayes said. "UW-Whitewater is known throughout the University of Wisconsin System for its excellence, and we look forward to continuing to build on that reputation through a focus on inclusive excellence and providing students with meaningful experiences both in and beyond the classroom."
Hayes' research interests include African American music, gender theory; the politics of iconography and music in Ireland; music and politics; and ethnic identity and Afro-pop festivals in Germany. She received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from the University of Washington, a master's degree in folklore and ethnomusicology from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor's degree in music history/piano from Temple University.
She will assume her role at UW-Whitewater on Aug. 1.
"I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to Dr. Robert Mertens for his leadership in the Interim Dean role since 2015," Elrod said. "In addition, I would like to express my thanks to Dean John Chenoweth for his leadership in chairing the search and screen committee, to the members of the committee, and to everyone on campus who participated in the search process. Their dedication and efforts during this process made it a success."
The College of Arts and Communication employs 83 faculty and academic staff members and has an annual budget of $12 million. Students can choose from 14 majors, 15 minors and 4 graduate programs. Faculty and staff provide students with the essential elements of a liberal education; a focused and carefully designed approach to student advising and learning; and a caring and scholarly atmosphere. The college is home to Young Auditorium, Barnett Theatre, Hicklin Studio Theatre, Light Recital Hall, Greenhill Center of the Arts, Crossman Art Gallery, UWW-TV Studios, 97.1 WSUW-FM Radio Studios, the Royal Purple student newspaper, Motion Capture Studio, and Media Arts and Game Development Labs.