Watkins tapped as Providence College’s new arts and sciences dean

PROVIDENCE – Margaret Watkins will shift her higher education career eastward to Providence College this coming summer.

Watkins, currently the dean of Seattle Pacific University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the new dean of Providence College’s School of Arts and Sciences, the college announced Jan. 17.

Watkins begins her new role at PC on July 1 and will oversee a school that offers 32 bachelor’s degree programs, four master’s degrees, three certificate programs and 32 minors in a range of disciplines.

PC says Watkins also previously served various roles at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., including as an interim dean and dean of the college’s School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. She also is the current president of the Hume Society, an international scholarly organization with members from dozens of countries, the college said.

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“I am inspired by Providence’s vision of a transformative and liberating Dominican education, rooted in the ideal of veritas, as well as the commitment to care for community and diversity that was so evident in all of my interactions during the interview process,” Watkins said in a statement. “I am very much looking forward to joining the Friar community.”

PC President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard said in a statement that Watkins brings to the college an “exemplary record” of scholarship and academic leadership and is pleased that she “will be overseeing the many aspects of our School of Arts and Sciences going forward.”

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette