Announcement on the Deans of the Graduate School, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Honors College, and School of Sciences and Mathematics

Please join us in congratulating our new designated deans for this well-deserved recognition and read below for more information about each of them. Along with our five other deans – Dean Fran Welch, Dean Valerie Morris, Dean Alan Shao, Dean Timothy Johnson and Dean John White – the College is truly fortunate to have such a highly accomplished roster of academic leaders. 

 Learn More About Our Newest Deans 

·       Godfrey A. Gibbison, dean of the Graduate School and associate professor of economics, joined the College as dean of the School of Professional Studies in 2013. He created the College’s first fully online degree, the Bachelor of General Studies. A Fulbright scholar, he has published research on household decision-making in developing countries. He also consults with entities such as the World Bank. For more information, visit https://president.cofc.edu/administration/officersanddeans/godfrey-gibbison.php 

·       Gibbs Knotts, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of political science, joined the College as chair of that department in 2012. Professor Knotts teaches American politics to undergraduates and graduate students in the public administration program. He has published works on political participation, Southern politics, public administration and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In 2017, he received the College’s Distinguished Research Award. For more information, visit https://president.cofc.edu/administration/officersanddeans/gibbs-knotts.php 

·       Elizabeth (Beth) Meyer-Bernstein, dean of the Honors College, first joined the College in 2002 and since that time has become the founding co-director and then director (2009) of the neuroscience program and an associate professor of biology in 2009. In 2014, she assumed the roles of director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities and associate dean of the Honors College. She has published extensively about her research of circadian rhythms in a variety of organisms. For more information, visit https://president.cofc.edu/administration/officersanddeans/meyer-bernstein.php 

·       Sebastian van Delden, dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics and professor of computer science, joined the College as chair of that department in 2015. In addition to teaching computer science courses, he played an active role in establishing new programs, including systems engineering, electrical engineering, computing in the arts and a master’s degree in data science and analytics. He has published numerous works on robotics and artificial intelligence. For more information, visit https://president.cofc.edu/administration/officersanddeans/sebastian-vandelden.php