The Dean of College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Diane D. Allen has assumed her duties as new dean of the College of Education and Human Development.
Allen comes to Southeastern from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, where she was associate dean for Outreach, Research and Professional Development. A native of Memphis, Tenn., she earned her doctoral and master's degrees in curriculum and instruction from Oklahoma State University and her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Memphis.
As a member of the University of North Texas faculty since 1991, Allen developed a significant body of scholarly work including book chapters, articles and presentations. In addition, she taught numerous graduate and undergraduate courses and participated in many service activities at the department, college and university level. She also increased the College of Education's external funding from $3.6 million to $10.7 million in three years and wrote the proposal that became the university's first congressional earmark funding.
She previously was a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a graduate assistant at the Oklahoma State University, and a secondary and elementary public school teacher for 12 years in North Carolina and Oklahoma.
A specialist in the areas of reading and literacy, Allen said Southeastern's reputation as an excellent school of education, as well as the warmth and enthusiasm of the faculty, were major factors in attracting her to the university.
She said she is looking forward to implementing the new joint doctoral degree program in education, to expanding external funding for the College of Education and Human Development and to expanding partnerships with the Southeastern Lab School and area schools.