Dean of the College Staff

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Jennifer Cooley joined Sewanee and started her role as Vice-Provost and Dean of the College on July 1, 2025. Prior to this, she served as Interim Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa, after having served as an Associate Dean and a Department Head. A professor of Spanish, she has published on 16th- and 17th-century Spanish literature and culture, and has also performed ethnographic research on 21st-century immigration in the Americas, leading to the creation of interactive theatre pieces and a two-act play. Dr. Cooley has worked extensively with students on numerous community engagement projects. She has also collaborated on faculty development projects related to inclusive teaching, and, more recently, on artificial intelligence and its impact on teaching and learning in the liberal arts.

Dr. Cooley earned her Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the University of Iowa, her Master’s in Spanish from Syracuse University, and holds undergraduate degrees in both Philosophy and Spanish from Lawrence University.  She looks forward to building connections with faculty, students and staff on the campus and in the community, where she might be spotted walking her dog!

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As Associate Dean of the College for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Dean Bruce assists students with academic matters, advises the Honor Council, serves as the campus liaison to the Fulbright and other scholarship programs, and manages and reviews the assessment of academic programs. He earned his BA from Sewanee and his MA and Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia. As a member of the English faculty, he teaches courses on Old English, the history of the English language, and medieval topics. He has published books and articles on topics including medieval English literature, linguistics, Tolkien studies, folklore and folktales, Tennessee history, and pedagogy.

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In addition to his role as the Interim Associate Dean of the College, Prof. Miles has been a member of the Chemistry Department since 2002. He served as co-director of the Center for Teaching for 4 1/2 years after co-chairing the task force that reimagined and revitalized the CFT. Prof. Miles led the creation of many of the CFT's now-signature programs and designed the physical space that remains in operation today. As former chair of the Chemistry Department, he has experience with faculty recruitment and retention, mentorship, and review processes. He earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and grew up in Gary, Indiana. His research interests involve the synthesis and analysis of water-soluble nanoparticles, which are used as sensors. In his free time, he and his wife can be found outside following their two teenage boys as they participate in various youth sports.

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Deborah is a Professor of Biology and the Carl Biehl Professor of International Studies. She earned a BA with majors in Economics and International Relations at the University of Wisconsin Madison, a M.S. in Forest Resources and Conservation and a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology from the University of Florida. Her research often involves communities and focuses on understanding and managing biogeochemical cycles in wetland and forested ecosystems to address environmental challenges in human-dominated landscapes. Since her days as a Peace Corps volunteer, she has worked with farmers in Africa, Brazil, Haiti and Tennessee to manage more sustainable agroecosystems that provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. She has taken student research groups to China and Haiti as well as taught students at a University in China. In Sewanee, she teaches courses in Agroecology, Environmental Health and Justice, Ecology and Field Biology. As Assistant Dean for the Environment, she coordinates Sewanee's six environmental majors. A mother of two grown sons, she enjoys learning new languages, yoga, hiking in the forest with her dogs, gardening and cooking.

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As an ACS Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow, Dr. Hatcher is Special Assistant to the Dean for Faculty Retention and Policy. In this role, she focuses on developing policies for faculty recruitment, hiring, and retention by prioritizing goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. She also is Alfred Walter Negley Professor of Politics and teaches courses in American political institutions, constitutional law, Southern politics, voting, and religion and politics. She earned her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University where she trained in the study of Congress. Her book Majority Leadership in the U.S. Senate: Balancing Constraints (Cambria Press, 2010) is the first comprehensive study of the office of Senate Majority Leader. Her research has turned to religion and politics, particularly the comparative political behaviors of American and British Evangelicals on which she published Political and Religious Identities of British Evangelicals (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017). Her research in progress considers developments in the politics of British Evangelicals since Europe's immigration crisis, Brexit, and the rise of global Christian nationalism. Dr. Hatcher is also a member of the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

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As Special Assistant to the Dean for Curriculum and Data, Dr. Theyson assists academic programs and the Dean's office with making data-informed decisions about curriculum and course offerings. Dr. Theyson has been a professor in the department of Economics and Finance since 2010 and also serves as department chair. She publishes research on the factors contributing to environmental regulation in the United States and the impact of that regulation on the environment and economy. A true believer in the value of broad liberal arts education—she earned a BA in Chemistry at North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Theyson lives in Sewanee with her son where she plays the (last chair) bassoon in the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra.

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Sandy Carr is the Executive Assistant to the Dean of the College. Her role is to support the Dean of the College and coordinate division operations and faculty hiring. She has over sixteen years of experience in higher education, including nine years in the Executive Offices working with Sewanee's governing boards before moving to Academic Affairs. Her professional experience prior to Sewanee was in finance and small business.

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As Assistant Director for Faculty Affairs, Brittany provides support to faculty members for financial reporting and budget management related to academic departments, travel, and grants; provides administrative support to faculty in the tenure and review and annual activity reporting processes; manages Sewanee's Institutional Review Board; and works closely with the Sponsored Research Officer to ensure proper stewardship of external grant funds. Before working in the Dean's Office, Brittany held positions in Student Life and the Vice-Chancellor's Office. Prior to Sewanee, her professional experience includes medical billing and coding, and office management. She earned a Master of Science degree in strategic leadership and graduate certificates in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, community and organizational leadership, and academic advising from Austin Peay State University. In her free time, Brittany enjoys reading, spending time with her family, painting miniatures, and playing World of Warcraft and Dungeons & Dragons. To make an appointment with Brittany, CLICK HERE.

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As Office Coordinator for the Dean of the College, Jessica provides comprehensive administrative support to the deans and serves as a key liaison between the Dean’s Office and both internal and external stakeholders. Her responsibilities include coordinating faculty hiring processes, supporting the Institutional Review Board, maintaining departmental websites and records, and updating official documents. She also maintains records and provides administrative support for the Honor Council, and manages logistics for faculty working groups, including travel arrangements, itineraries, and event planning.

Jessica brings over a decade of experience in mental health program management and integrative rehabilitation services. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master’s degree in Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, offering holistic health education, and exploring emerging practices in alternative and integrative health.

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Heather Kleinfeld is the Event Coordinator for the Dean of the College’s Office. She is responsible for working with department chairs and program directors for event management of public lectures and other large-scale events in the College of Arts and Sciences. Heather joined the University in March of 2021 as a financial aid counselor and coordinated the work-study program. Prior to her arrival at Sewanee, she worked in the non-profit sector for over 12 years. Heather spends her spare time working on theatrical productions for her hometown’s performing arts center.