Gary Bennett, current vice provost for undergraduate education, will be the next dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, per a Tuesday release.
Bennett, who is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience, global health, and medicine, will succeed Valerie Ashby, who is now president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and interim dean Mohamed Noor. His term will begin Feb. 1, 2023.
“I have spent the better part of my career here at Duke,” Bennett said in the release. “The Trinity College community has helped me grow as a scholar, as an instructor and as an academic leader. It is my home.
“Our primary goal should be enhancing the college’s strength as a nationally eminent scholarly community,” Bennett said. “I will champion our faculty's efforts to break ground, illuminate truths and transform students’ lives.”
As vice provost, Bennett provided the strategic vision and leadership for Duke’s undergraduate education experience. Under his leadership, Duke introduced several advancements, making the college experience “more enriching and equitable for all students,” according to the release. Such programs include Duke LIFE, which supports first-generation and low-income students, and the Academic Guides. He also directs the Office of Undergraduate Education.
Alongside Mary Pat McMahon, vice provost and vice president of student affairs, Bennett also led the development and implementation of QuadEx, a new living/learning initiative.
Bennett also helped create Duke’s undergraduate major in global health, according to the release. He has served on committees that develop the undergraduate curriculum and the University’s strategic plan, as well as the Arts & Sciences Council, Academic Council and Academic Priorities Committee.
“Gary is an extraordinary educator, scholar and administrator, and I am confident he will be an outstanding dean of Trinity College,” said Provost Sally Kornbluth in the release. “He is a standard bearer for excellence in teaching and scholarship who is deeply committed to supporting student and faculty success and building a healthier and more inclusive campus community at Duke.”
Bennett was appointed after a nationwide search chaired by Professor of English Charlotte Sussman and conducted by a committee of Duke faculty and representatives, as well as the Trinity College Board of Visitors.
Bennett earned his doctorate and masters degrees from Duke and studied at Morehouse College for his bachelor's degree in psychology. Before joining Duke in 2009, he was a faculty member in the Harvard School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
He has served as president of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the largest organization of behavioral change scientists in the U.S. He is also a fellow for the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research and an elected member of the Behavioral Medicine Research Council.
Next steps on Bennett’s current vice provost position are forthcoming, according to the release.
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Milla Surjadi is a Trinity junior and a diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator of The Chronicle's 119th volume. She was previously editor-in-chief for Volume 118.
Kathryn Thomas is a Trinity junior and new reporter coordinator of The Chronicle's 119th volume. She was previously news editor for Volume 118.