Dr. Mary S. Alexander (Missy) has served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Western Connecticut State University since 2016. Dr. Alexander oversees the four schools, library services, international programs, institutional research, grants and sponsored research, academic success programs, and external partnerships. As the Chief Academic Officer, she supports all accreditation initiatives, provides guidance on the development of new curricula and assessment plans, manages strategic planning initiatives, and works closely with the Connecticut Board of Regents.
Prior to her appointment to the Provost/VPAA position, Dr. Alexander was the Dean of the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences at WCSU from 2012-2016, where she supported thirteen academic departments, and facilitated the development of two interdisciplinary bachelor’s degrees and the adoption of a new general education curriculum. She served as Assistant Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts at Marist College from 2009-2012 and as Director of the Marist-LdM branch campus in Florence, Italy during the spring of 2012.
Dr. Alexander earned her Ph.D. in Media Ecology from New York University, an MA in Communications from Hunter College, and a BA in Anthropology from Hunter College. Her scholarship focuses on the impact of new media of communication on social institutions (particularly education).