Dr. Nat Hardy has accepted the position of the founding dean of arts and humanities and the Sara Jane Johnson scholar at Stephens College.
Hardy most recently served as associate dean of arts and sciences at College of Saint Mary, a women’s college in Omaha, Nebraska. His international background includes considerable administrative experience in higher education, serving both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as tested leadership experience. As an international faculty member and administrator, and a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, Hardy values and embraces diversity, inclusion and social equity, and welcomes the opportunity to help create an even more diverse, global and inclusive Stephens community.
With a demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and a passion for transformative learning, Hardy is excited to lead the exemplary Arts and Humanities programs at Stephens.
“I am humbled and honored to lead the School of Arts and Humanities,” Hardy said. “From the moment I set foot on this historic campus, it was clear to me that this position and this opportunity were a perfect fit. To be a part of a college tradition that is so deeply committed to its students’ personal and academic success was an easy and the right decision to make.”
Hardy holds a Ph.D. in the Early Modern Literature of Illness and Disease (University of Alberta), an M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration (Georgia Southern University), an M.F.A. in Creative Writing (Louisiana State University), an M.A. in Restoration Utopian Literature (McMaster University) and a B.A. in Literature and Philosophy (University of Alberta).
To date, Hardy has held teaching and administrative positions at the College of Saint Mary, Savannah State University, Rogers State University, Oklahoma State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Alberta and McMaster University. Hardy brings focused experience in generating new traditional and online degree and certificate programs, policy development, and international education and honors programs. He has earned numerous awards for his teaching and service. Most recently, Hardy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in London, England. Hardy also brings to Stephens a significant body of published scholarly and creative work, grant support and international conference participation.
Hardy said that, as a first-generation student, higher education has profoundly transformed his life.
“I have been fortunate to benefit from the transformative power of higher education, especially the fine arts and the humanities. Just as I have been mentored by professors, advisers, colleagues and students, my mission is to pay it forward; to help prepare Stephens students to be leaders and creative innovators in the knowledge economy.
“Through the collaboration of Stephens’ dedicated faculty and staff, and the passion of our exceptional students, together we will chart the next chapter by developing new and innovative, interdisciplinary programs that will enable our students to continue to be effective and successful change agents in the decades ahead. We stand on the shoulders of the many generations of Stephens educators and students before us, and thus Stephens’ continual path of success is not only our shared responsibility — our destiny — but will, in time, prove our collective legacy.”
The appointment of a founding dean is part of the College’s plan to reorganize its administrative structure into a School of Health Sciences and a School of Arts and Humanities. The new structure will go into effect with the 2020-21 academic year after a transition period this spring.