Rowan College at Burlington County names Marlton resident new dean of liberal arts
Rowan College at Burlington County associate professor of psychology Donna Agovino Vandergrift has been named the new dean of liberal arts at the college.
“For 25 years, Ms. Vandergrift has demonstrated true innovation as an esteemed member of our faculty. We are pleased to announce that the college has appointed her the new Dean of Liberal Arts,” said Rowan College at Burlington County President Paul Drayton. “She has won numerous awards including the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award and Professor of the Year, served as coordinator of the psychology program and visiting faculty administrator, and we couldn’t be more confident in her abilities to lead the Liberal Arts division as we continue transforming the college into the modern model of higher education.”
Vandergrift, of Marlton, who joined RCBC as an adjunct faculty member in 1991, was responsible for developing and teaching RCBC’s first online psychology course and served as president of the Faculty Senate four times during her tenure at the college. She also won the Presidential Award three times for contributions to the college community and incorporating technology and innovation in the classroom.
“Ms. Vandergrift is a highly experienced and gifted educator who will bring her energy and enthusiasm for our students to her new role as Dean of the Liberal Arts Division. We are all looking forward to working with her in her new expanded role at Rowan College at Burlington County,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Dr. Spang. “She has been involved in various administrative projects at the college from helping to create standardized syllabi to choosing textbooks and guiding curriculum. She is a great fit for the position of Dean and we are proud to have one of our own assume the role.”
In addition to her experience at RCBC, Vandergrift has served as an adjunct at Johnson & Wales University, Rider University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Springfield Technical Community College in Massachusetts. She is also a consultant with several textbook companies including Cengage Learning, McGraw-Hill Education and Wiley, helping train faculty to use digital textbook components and creating psychology textbook materials.
“I look forward to working with Bernadette Wright, the associate dean, all of the talented Liberal Arts faculty members and administration in my new role,” said Vandergrift. “I am excited to serve our students by fostering an environment of learning and success that will help them meet their goals at this creative and innovative institution.”
Early in her career, Vandergrift served as a career counselor at Rutgers University, the Job Assistance Center in Fort Dix, the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Maryland, and the Community College of the Air Force at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. She is still involved with military serving as a senior counselor with the New Jersey National Guard Youth Camp and a founding member the New Jersey State Family Readiness Council, which supports the needs of New Jersey National Guard families, recommends solutions to meet those needs, and seeks implementation of solutions on a state level.
Vandergrift has her master’s in counseling from Rider University, a bachelor’s in psychology from Rutgers University and earned a doctoral candidacy in human development and family studies from the University of Delaware.
