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Dustin Luca
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SALEM, MASS. – The new dean of Salem State University’s McKeown School of Education has a proven track record of fostering student success, empowering educators, and guiding faculty through innovative programs.
Laurie McCarty, executive director of faculty development at the University of Connecticut’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, will begin her new role as dean of the McKeown School of Education on June 29.
“With her experience as a successful leader in the field of education, Dr. McCarty is well-positioned to take the helm of the McKeown School of Education,” said David Silva, provost and academic vice president at Salem State. “The school has seen an expansion of its programming, much of which addresses the need to create a pipeline of students from our region’s gateway communities who aspire to careers in education, thereby addressing the region’s persistent need for well-prepared teachers to educate the North Shore’s next generation of workers, leaders, and engaged residents.”
McCarty, with nearly 30 years of experience in higher education, holds a bachelor’s in psychology and philosophy from Boston College, and both a master’s and PhD in bilingual special education from New Mexico State University. Her teaching career began in 1997, when she was an associate professor at Buffalo State College.
McCarty continued to develop her skills at Providence College in 2001, where she started as an assistant professor and was elevated to associate professor by 2004. She went on to serve as director of the school’s Center for Teaching Excellence from 2007 to 2018, after which she became chair of Providence College’s elementary special education department and associate provost for faculty affairs.
The opening for dean at Salem State University attracted McCarty because of the university’s mission and values, its developing status as a Hispanic Serving Institution, and the role it fills in serving the regional educator pipeline, she explained.
“When I arrived at Salem State for my campus visit, I found what I suspected to be the case: The faculty and staff are here because they really believe in the mission of equity, inclusion, access, and success for all students—and that extends to the local community,” McCarty said. “Salem State is right in the action, and that’s a place I’m excited to be.”
In her role at the University of Connecticut, McCarty was known for her commitment to supporting faculty and staff in all aspects of their professional growth. She expects that to continue at Salem State, where she said, “I can only imagine what’s possible.”
“I was thoroughly impressed by the insight and dedication reflected in the conversations I had with Salem State colleagues during my campus visit,” McCarty said, “and I knew through that experience that the people at Salem State weren’t just looking for someone to fill a role. They were really committed to looking for the right person to take the lead.”
