Manhattan College Names Dr. Richard Emmerson As Next Dean Of Arts

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Dr. Richard Emmerson has been named the next dean of Manhattan College’s school of arts, effective July 1. Emmerson will replace Dr. Mary Ann O’Donnell, who will step down from her position after 38 years at Manhattan, 15 of which she spent as dean.

Since 2006, Emmerson has served as professor and chair of the department of art history at Florida State University. Prior to arriving at Florida State, he was the executive director of the Medieval Academy of America and editor of its interdisciplinary journal Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies.

Emmerson has taught at Georgetown University, Harvard University, Tufts University, Walla Walla College and Western Washington University, where he served as professor and chair of the English department. From 1987-1990, he was the deputy director of the division of fellowships and seminars at the National Endowment for the Humanities.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history from Columbia Union College, Emmerson earned a master’s in English and American literature from Andrews University and a Ph.D. in English and medieval studies from Stanford University. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including Key Figures in Medieval Europe (2006) and Antichrist and Judgment Day: The Middle French Jour du Jugement (1998).

Emmerson’s research is interdisciplinary, studying medieval art, drama, religion and visionary poetry during the later Middle Ages and early Reformation period. His scholarship during the past decade focuses on the relationship of word and image in medieval English and French manuscripts, both literary and devotional.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering. For more information about Manhattan College, visit www.manhattan.edu.