Montclair State University
Upper Montclair , New Jersey
*Contact: Bob Quarteroni *
Aug. 2, 2004
*Papazian named Dean of MSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences*
* *
*MONTCLAIR, N. J*. – Dr. Mary A. Papazian of Michigan has been named
Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State
University, announced Dr. Richard A. Lynde, Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs at MSU. Papazian has been serving as Associate
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Oakland University in
Michigan, where she has been employed since 1988.
Papazian’s appointment was approved at the June MSU Board of
Trustees meeting. She begins at MSU Aug. 16.
Papazian has been Associate Dean of Oakland University’s largest
academic unit since 1999. Offering more than two-thirds of all courses
at the university, the College is home to 240 full-time and 200-part
time faculty members and has a yearly operating budget of $25 million.
During her tenure, Papazian developed and gained approval for academic
programs ranging from the Ph.D. in biological communication to an M.A.
in liberal studies and bachelor degree programs in studio art and
women’s studies. She served as the university’s coordinator for the
annual Meeting of the Minds undergraduate research conference; as
ombudsman for faculty and students; and as Executive Director of the
Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, where she developed an
assessment of the current state of performing arts at Oakland and a plan
for its future. She taught English literature starting in 1988, was
named associate professor in 1994, and full professor in 2003.
“We are delighted that such a talented and visionary administrator,
teacher and scholar has joined the leadership team at Montclair State,”
Lynde said. “Mary’s guidance and vision at the largest of MSU’s
Colleges and Schools will prove invaluable as we continue our efforts to
elevate the University’s academic and programmatic offerings to the very
highest level.”
Papazian said, “Montclair State University is on the cusp of a new
era that will carry it to great heights. I am excited to have the
opportunity to assist the University, and its faculty, students and
administrative leadership team in reaching that goal. The dynamism,
enthusiasm and excitement of a University reaching its potential as a
truly great institution is contagious. I cannot wait to get started.”
Papazian was also chair of the Phyllis Law Googasian Award
Committee at Oakland University; and chair of the College of Arts and
Science’s Committee on Appointment and Promotion. In addition, she
participated in ongoing fund-raising activities; chaired the Teaching
Excellence Award Committee; and was a member of the University Senate,
Honor’s College Council and the executive committee of the university’s
affiliate of the American Council of Education Network for Women Leaders.
An active writer, researcher and conference speaker, Papazian was
editor of “John Donne and the Protestant Reformation: New Perspectives,”
published by Wayne State University Press in 2003 and has two additional
books nearly complete. She also has contributed numerous articles on
John Donne and the early modern period to books and journals such as
/Modern Philology/ and the /John Donne Journal/. In addition, she
recently was elected second vice-president of the John Donne Society.
Papazian earned her B.A. in English literature in 1981; her M.A.
in 1983 and her Ph.D. in 1988, all from the University of California,
Los Angeles. She will be moving east with her husband, Professor Dennis
R. Papazian, a long-time scholar at the University of Michigan, Dearborn
with expertise in the history of the former Soviet Union and its
successor states (particularly Armenia), and her two daughters, Ani (10)
and Marie (five).
Additional information on MSU’s College of Humanities and Social
Sciences may be found on the University’s website at
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<> MSU is New Jersey’s second largest and fastest growing
university. It offers the advantages of a large university — a
comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus, a broad
variety of superior graduate programs, and a diverse faculty and student
body — combined with a small college’s attention to students.
More information on the University is available on its website: