Dr. Tanya Boone to serve as dean of its College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) in 2021 after a nationwide search.
Boone previously served as associate dean in the School of Social Sciences and Education at California State University, Bakersfield, a position she held since August 2016.
A native of Washington state, Boone earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from the University of Washington in 1990 and Master of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Arizona in 1997. In 2003, she received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University.
She joined CSU Bakersfield’s Department of Psychology in 2003 as an assistant professor and achieved the rank of full professor in 2016. From 2009 to 2014, Boone served as faculty coordinator within the university’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Education. She was chair of CSU Bakersfield’s Department of Psychology from 2013 to 2016 and of Advanced Education Studies from 2016 through 2019.
Boone’s scholarship has focused on family and adolescent development. Her leadership experience has centered on supporting student success, collaborating with faculty and staff to achieve school goals and objectives and serving on executive teams to promote the strategic goals of the university, including improving student retention and graduation rates.
Boone played a key role in CSU Bakersfield achieving the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in 2015. She has received several national grants and awards, and her work has appeared in a variety of books and scholarly publications.
Boone says she sees her role as a leader as supporting and empowering faculty and staff as they work to transform lives through education.