Craig H. Kennedy, senior associate dean at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and a professor of special education and pediatrics, has been named dean of UGA’s College of Education.
The appointment was announced by Provost Jere Morehead, to whom Kennedy will report.
“I am very pleased that Dr. Kennedy has accepted our offer to become dean of the College of Education,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “The University of Georgia has a nationally important leadership role to play in ensuring access to quality education and conducting research that provides a foundation for optimal learning and human development. I am confident that Dr. Kennedy’s leadership will guide the college effectively in its important missions.”
Kennedy’s appointment is effective Jan. 1.
“The College of Education plays a vital role in preparing teachers and other professionals while also conducting outreach and research whose impact extends well beyond the state,” Morehead said. “Its faculty are already ranked among the most productive researchers in the nation, and
Dr. Kennedy has the skills and experience to take the college and its research enterprise to an even higher level of prominence.”
For the past four years, Peabody College has been ranked the nation’s top graduate school for education. Prior to joining the dean’s office at Peabody College, where he also serves as associate dean for research, Kennedy was chair of its special education department from 2007-2009.
His research on autism and related disabilities has received more than $16 million in extramural funding.
“I am excited and humbled at the opportunity to join the University of Georgia and serve as the dean of its College of Education,” Kennedy said. “The college is a leader in the discovery of new knowledge, training the next generation of professionals and providing service to the people of Georgia. I look forward to working with the faculty, students, staff and university leadership in making it one of the nation’s top education schools.”