Dr. Heather Hathaway is Acting Dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences. She has held numerous leadership roles at ºÚÁÏÂÛ̳ across department, college, and university levels. Most recently, she was acting dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences in 2019–20; associate dean for academic affairs (2005–08, 2017–19); and associate dean for faculty and graduate studies (2020–21). Prior to that, Hathaway held several directorship positions in the Department of English and represented her colleagues on a variety of university committees including the University Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Faculty Hearing Committee. Hathaway also co-directed the University Honors Program.

Dr. Hathaway is a strong advocate for Jesuit liberal arts education. She believes in the power of Ignatian pedagogy to shape students’ ways of thinking about and contributing to the common good. She most enjoys being in the classroom, learning with and from her students, and continues to teach each semester.

Dr. Hathaway is a nationally recognized scholar. Her research focuses on American Studies with particular attention to African American and Japanese American literature and culture. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies from Wesleyan University and her Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization from Harvard University. She has published numerous articles, two books, and two scholarly collections. She has received grants from the American Council of Learned Societies, the American Studies Association and the American Association of University Women. For her teaching, she was awarded ºÚÁÏÂÛ̳’s John P. Raynor Award for Teaching Excellence and the National Residence Hall Honorary Faculty Excellence Award. Last spring, Hathaway was named AMUW Professor of the Humanities.