UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Lynn Sargeant, associate dean for student relations in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at California State University, Fullerton, has been named dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at South Dakota State University. She was selected following a national search.

“Dr. Sargeant presented a bold vision for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and we are excited for her to serve as the college’s next dean,” said Dennis Hedge, provost and vice president for academic affairs at SDSU. “Lynn’s experience leading student success initiatives will be a great asset as we look to enhance enrollment through student recruitment and retention efforts.”

Sargeant has served as associate dean for student relations at Cal State Fullerton since August 2014. She is responsible for all student work with a college of approximately 7,500 undergraduate students and 700 graduate students.

Her responsibilities include leading the college’s student success team and directing the college’s experiential learning programs that include study abroad, study away and the Cal State D.C. Internship program. She also manages the college’s assessment and program accreditation efforts and college-level enrollment management.

“I was extremely interested in the position when it was first brought to my attention,” Sargeant said. “It was a perfect combination of my professional interests in all disciplines represented by the College and my desire to return to the Dakotas. But what really sold me on the idea of serving as the dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences was the warmth, collegiality, passion and pride displayed by the faculty, staff and administrators of SDSU during my visit. I truly look forward to making SDSU, and Brookings, my home.”

Sargeant’s research focus has included Russian social and cultural history, the role of cultural organizations in the community and the history of education with an emphasis on music education. She wrote “Harmony and Discord: Music and the Transformation of Russian Cultural Life,” which was published by Oxford University Press as part of its series “The New Cultural History of Music.” Sargeant was awarded the 2012 Béla Bartók Award for Outstanding Ethnomusicology Book from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Sargeant began her career at Cal State Fullerton in 2004 as an assistant professor in the Department of History and rose to the ranks of full professor in 2013. She was also the vice chair of that department from 2011-13 before being named associate dean.

Sargeant earned bachelor’s degrees in music education from the University of Minnesota and in Russian area studies from the University of Washington. She has a master’s and Ph.D. in history from Indiana University.