Dr. Maria del Guadalupe Davidson Named New Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts

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Dr. Maria del Guadalupe Davidson has been selected as the next Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, effective on July 1, 2024.  

“Lupe’s achievements as a scholar and as a leader speak to her ability to navigate the changing landscape of higher education. Her reputation for interdisciplinary collaboration, building inclusive communities, and commitment to student success make her the clear choice to take on this role,” says Mike Malone, interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Dr. Davidson has spent her career dedicated to research, teaching, and service in gender and racial justice and inclusion. For the past five years, she has served in various capacities at West Virginia University including as a Provost Fellow for Faculty Recruitment and Hiring; as Associate Dean for Social Justice, Faculty Development, and Innovation; and as the Director and Academic Coordinator for Social Justice Affairs. She is currently Associate Dean for Faculty, Interim Director for the Public Administration Program, and Woodburn Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies.

“I couldn’t be more excited to lead this next chapter and get to know all who are invested in the bright future of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts,” says Davidson.

Dr. Davidson earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science at St. Bonaventure University, master’s degrees in English and Communication Studies, and a doctorate in Rhetoric all from Duquesne University. She is known for co-editing a collection on bell hooks’ scholarship “Critical Perspectives on bell hooks” (Routledge 2009). She is also known as a co-editor of the first collection that brought continental philosophy into dialogue with black feminist thought “Convergences: Black Feminism and Continental Philosophy” (SUNY Press 2010). Most recently, she has worked with a collective of scholars and grassroots women’s organizations in northern Uganda to elevate the concerns of war affected women. Dr. Davidson is the 2022 recipient of the Julia T. Wood Teacher/Scholar Award presented by the Pennsylvania Communication Association.

Davidson will succeed Barbara Krauthamer as the dean of Humanities and Fine Arts. Joye Bowman has been serving as the interim dean of HFA for the past academic year and will return to the faculty of the Department of History.