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May 9
, 2003
Karen
Cardozo-Kane Appointed Interim Dean of Students/Associate Dean
of the College
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Photo:
Fred LeBlanc
Karen
Cardozo-Kane, interim dean of students/associate dean of
the College. |
Karen
Cardozo-Kane, currently dean of the senior class, has been named
interim dean of students/associate dean of the College. In her
new position, which she will hold for one year, Cardozo-Kane will
oversee the offices of student programs and residential life and
the day-to-day operation of the office of the dean of students.
Cardozo-Kane, who has done a lot of work in the areas of diversity
and inclusion, will also contribute to the College in that area.
She replaces Rochelle Calhoun, former dean of students, who has
recently been serving as acting dean of the College. Calhoun will
assume the title of executive director of the Alumnae Association
August 1. Cardozo-Kane’s one-year tenure will help provide
a smooth transition for philosophy professor Lee Bowie, incoming
dean of the College and vice president for student affairs. The
College will conduct a national search for the dean of students
position.
“I am so pleased that Karen has agreed to take on the role
of dean of students/associate dean of the College, says Bowie.
“She has so much to offer the College on a variety of fronts.
Karen has worked at MHC in various capacities over the last ten
years, serving on the administrative side in student affairs and
on the academic side, teaching in the English department here
and at UMass. She has had a wonderful tenure as senior dean, and
she has a deep commitment to students—both particular ones
and to students in general. I am confident she will excel as associate
dean of the College and dean of students.” Seniors Alex
D’Urso and Chiara Fuller share Bowie’s enthusiasm
for Cardozo-Kane’s appointment. “I nearly started
jumping up and down with excitement upon hearing that Karen will
be here next year,” D’Urso says. “She is one
of the kindest, most helpful administrators on this campus and
truly cares about students. Mount Holyoke is so lucky to have
Karen’s enthusiasm, patience, compassion, and innovative
ideas for another year.” “I am overjoyed to know that
Dean Karen Cardozo-Kane will be the new interim associate dean,”
says Fuller. “She has been a true blessing in my life and
I know that she will be phenomenal in the position. As a senior
who is successfully finishing her journey, I will say with no
hesitation that the College has chosen the right woman for the
position.”
Cardozo-Kane, whose scholarly work focuses on twentieth-century
American ethnic literature, autobiography theory, trauma studies,
historiography, and commemoration, is pursuing a Ph.D. in American
studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She will
take time off from writing her dissertation, titled “Haunted
Subjects: The Fugue of Contemporary U.S. American Writing,”
to serve as dean but expects to “return to the academic
realm” when her year as dean is completed. “This interim
arrangement enables me to have my cake and eat it too,”
she says. “I can gain a fabulous professional experience
next year and then turn to the completion of my degree, which
will allow me more options in higher education down the road.”
“Stepping into this role feels like an organic move for
me since I came to MHC as assistant dean of students in 1993,”
says Cardozo-Kane. “Because I have since taught here and
am now an academic dean, I think I’ll be very well situated
next year to think about a student’s whole experience at
Mount Holyoke. I’ve met so many wonderful students over
the years that I very much look forward to getting to know students
in new capacities on campus—not simply through the life
of organizations but also by spending informal time in residence
halls and other shared spaces. The projected opening of the new
Blanchard Campus Center will help make next year a great one for
building community. I hope to learn more from students about what
leadership and the liberal arts mean to them, and how the dean
of students division can help them achieve a balanced and meaningful
experience at MHC.”
Cardozo-Kane says she is equally excited about working with her
colleagues in the offices of residential life, student programs,
and the dean of students, many of whom she has “known and
admired” since she first arrived at MHC. She expects to
collaborate closely with Dining Services, Public Safety, and the
Health Center, “all the areas that help students to feel
supported and secure,” she says. “I’m also glad
that I won’t lose touch with my current colleagues in the
academic deans area, and I’m especially inspired by the
vision and energy that Lee Bowie brings to the entire dean of
the College division. Overall, it feels like a great time to be
at Mount Holyoke.”
Cardozo-Kane earned a master of education degree in administration,
planning, and social policy from Harvard University Graduate School
of Education in 1993 and a bachelor of arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa,
in English from Haverford College in 1988. Since January of last
year, she has served as a consultant to the Center for Teaching
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, designing and conducting
an ongoing series of workshops for graduate students of color
from a variety of disciplines. She is also a member of the Five
College Asian American Studies Committee of Five Colleges, Inc.
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