Dr. Katherine A. Black is now Interim Dean Elect of the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). When Dean Joseph Voelker begins his leave of absence in January 2014, she will become A&S Interim Dean.
Black has been the A&S Associate Dean for Budget and Finance since 2011. In this position she advised the Dean on all aspects of budget preparation, including faculty and staff merit raises, new and replacement faculty/staff positions, and requests for budget increases.
She also assisted Dean Voelker with fundraising, monitoring A&S corse enrollments and awarding faculty with funds and grants. Since she was also responsible for managing the A&S budget, she was the main resource for faculty and staff with budget questions.
From 2008-12, Black was the Chair/Co-chair of the Department of Psychology. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Provost for four years.
Black joined the University of Hartford community in 1998 as an assistant professor, and was tenured and promoted to associate professor in 2004. Last year she was promoted to professor.
She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses, and has supervised honors theses, master’s theses and dissertations. At the same time, Black has maintained a strong research and publication record.
Her focuses are the long-term impacts of parent-child relationships and people’s judgments about responsibility and consequences of sexual violence.
During her time at the University, Black has contributed a lot to both academics and administration. She has received multiple awards for her hard work, including the Oscar and Shoshana Trachtenberg Award for Distinguished Service to the University and an Innovations in Teaching and Learning Award.
This year Black is participating in the Wellesley Institute for Women Leaders in Higher Education led by Higher Education Resource Services (HERS) in addition to her new role as Interim Dean of A&S.
Provost Sharon L. Vasquez expressed her gratitude for Black taking on the responsibilities that come along with being the dean of a college, and is eager to work with Black in her new position.