By Tate Luckey

Pending approval by the U of L Board of Trustees, Dayna Touron, UNC Greensboro associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and psychology professor, is set to become the new dean of the U of L College of Arts & Sciences.

Her tenure begins July 1st, replacing interim dean David Owen; he was selected as interim dean after Kimberly Leonard stepped down in 2019.

The search, conducted by R. William Funk & Associates, emphasized a candidate that is able to “articulate and execute a coherent vision for the future of the College of Arts and Sciences; bolster its financial standing through development, programmatic growth, and funded research; provide robust support for staff and faculty; and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion across the College, while strengthening internal and external partnerships.”

Touron was among 5 candidates selected from various universities, including WKU and Howard University. She comes from a psychology background, getting her B.A. from Maryville and her Ph.D in Experimental Psychology from Syracuse.

“The College of Arts & Sciences at UofL empowers students with a greater understanding of the world we live in,” Touron said. “I believe strongly in the teacher-scholar model of higher education and the inclusion of students in a climate of belonging, contemplation, discovery and real-life application. I am very excited to serve as the next dean of this diverse and dynamic college.”

Touron’s research focuses on cognition and aging. More specifically, she studies the strategies older adults use to complete cognitive tasks and how older adults’ cognitive abilities and metacognitive knowledge influence their strategic approach.

“As President of the College of Arts and Sciences, I am incredibly excited to hear that Dr. Touron has accepted the position of Dean. I had the pleasure of having dinner with her during her interview; and she is ready to hit the ground running,” A&S President Liam Gallagher said.

“She brings a wealth of experience from her previous role as Associate Dean at UNC Greensboro. Dr. Touron spoke of working in a student-focused way and increasing post-grant support for research grants here at U of L. I look forward to seeing where she takes our college in the future.”

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