Belmont University has named Dr. Bryce Sullivan the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Sullivan currently serves as chair of the Department of Psychology and Director of the interdisciplinary Gerontology Program at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). He will begin his new position at Belmont June 2, 2008.
“I am very excited to be joining the Belmont community,” Sullivan said. “The College of Arts and Sciences presents an unparalleled opportunity due to its centrality to the university’s vision of bringing together the best of liberal arts and professional education. Through cooperation with other units on campus, the college plays a crucial role in providing a challenging educational experience that liberates students from a shortsighted focus on the here and now. I plan to work with the faculty and staff in all programs in the College of Arts and Sciences to ensure that Belmont’s students have the finest educational opportunities possible. My goal is to help foster an intellectually rich learning environment that is built on Belmont’s history of preparing students to transform the world.”
Belmont Provost Dr. Dan McAlexander said, “Dr. Sullivan possesses an exceptional record as a scholar, teacher and university leader. He brings to this position extraordinary energy and a bold vision for the Arts and Sciences, which are at the heart of every great university. We are delighted that leaders of Bryce’s caliber continue to join Belmont University’s academic leadership, and we all look forward to working with him.”
During Sullivan’s seven years as SIUE’s Psychology Department Chair, the department enjoyed a period of increased growth and prominence, with a 36 percent enrollment increase while the tenure-track faculty increased in strength by 37 percent. Research productivity also increased 120 percent for peer-reviewed articles and 300 percent for conference papers under Sullivan’s leadership. In 2006, based on the department’s Senior Capstone, Sullivan crafted the submission that led to his department and the university receiving the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Award for Institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes, the only academic department to receive this national award in the inaugural year of its existence.
Dr. Sullivan received his B.S., summa cum laude, from Georgia State University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. His publication record includes 15 peer-reviewed journal articles, three book chapters, and 29 conference papers. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Illinois. He has been invited to present the keynote address at the August 2008 “Second Annual Erase the Stigma” conference in Illinois, and his keynote will be on “Religion, Mental Health and Clinical Practice: Integrating Psychological Treatment with Clients’ Religious Beliefs and Practice.” His favorite class to teach is the Senior Capstone: Religion, Personality and Personal Adjustment.
In addition to his experiences leading in the classroom and as an administrator, Sullivan has also made substantial contributions to his community. As a mental health volunteer for the Red Cross, he provided pro bono disaster mental health psychological services in St. Louis to individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina. He also went on a two-week deployment with the Red Cross to Baton Rouge and later on a construction ministry trip to Biloxi, Mississippi, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Most of his church service has been in Christian Education ministries, where he served as committee chair for the last four years.
The College of Arts and Sciences at Belmont University strives to provide an environment where students gain the knowledge, skills and spirit to be lifelong learners. The College is divided into four schools: the School of Sciences, the School of the Humanities, the School of Education and the School of Social Sciences. Dr. Larry Hall, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for six years, assumed a new appointment as Executive Vice President and Dean of the College at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., last summer. Dr. Mike Pinter, Professor of Mathematics, has served as Interim Dean for the past year.
