SALEM — Brian Vanden Heuvel, PhD, of Marblehead, has been named dean of the Salem State University College of Arts and Sciences. The appointment is effective as of July 2, 2023.
“I look forward to Dr. Vanden Heuvel bringing his extensive experience in academic leadership to Salem State University,” said President John D. Keenan. “Dr. Vanden Heuvel has a record of helping academic programs thrive, and I look forward to what his leadership will bring as our institution prepares to help the North Shore region thrive in the decades ahead.”
“I am thrilled to join the Salem State community and work with the dedicated faculty and staff to offer our students, and the North Shore, excellent teaching and learning opportunities that advance the mission and vision of the university,” said Vanden Heuvel. “I find value in working at an institution that serves the region and the community, a community that my family calls home. I am excited to grow relationships and partnerships for the College of Arts and Sciences, within academic affairs, university divisions, and across the state.”
Prior to joining Salem State, Vanden Heuvel most recently served as associate provost for academic planning and assessment, and professor of biology at Stonehill College. Prior to that, he held multiple positions in 17 years at Colorado State University Pueblo, a regional public Hispanic-serving institution in southeastern Colorado, including professor, chairperson of biology and executive director of undergraduate studies. During Vanden Heuvel’s time at CSU Pueblo, he secured over $17 million in external grants from the U.S. Department of Education, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, local utilities, and city and county governments.
“Dr. Vanden Heuvel’s record of success as a teacher, a researcher, and an academic administrator position him ideally for this critical leadership position,” said Provost and Academic Vice President David Silva. “He also arrives at Salem State with a wealth of experience in the securing and implementation of multiple federal grants funding projects that address critical matters of access and success for students from historically underrepresented communities – all of which aligns with Salem State’s emergence as the Commonwealth’s first public four-year Hispanic Serving Institution.”
A native of Colorado, Vanden Heuvel holds a PhD in botany from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in botany from Colorado State University, where he was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.
Vanden Heuvel enjoys spending time with his spouse and children, hiking, cooking, rowing, skiing, and reading.
