Courtney Davis named interim dean for the school of arts

Courtney Davis recently became the school of arts interim dean at Utah Valley University, however, she will only remain in this position for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Davis was placed in this position on May 10, 2021, because the previous dean, Stephen Pullen, decided to become a full-time professor within the department of theatrical arts for stage and screen.

Davis has been working at UVU for the past 15 years and before she became the interim dean for the school of arts, she held many different positions at UVU. Davis was the department chair of the art and design department for four years and she also taught a handful of classes centered around art. Davis also had the opportunity to accept a short term as the interim director and associate director of the center for the study of ethics.

“My first love is teaching, my administrative experiences have opened a new world of interest for me,” Davis said. It is extremely meaningful to have the opportunity to put forth initiatives and to take part in significant decisions that impact students, faculty, and staff. In higher education, I feel it is extremely important for faculty members to experience roles from different perspectives.”

The school of arts has four departments; art and design, dance, music and theatre. Recently, the school of arts has been able to bounce back from the COVID-19 setback. Many students and leaders within the school of arts hope that upcoming exhibitions and performances will be a success.

“This is an exciting year as we relaunch a full season of exhibitions and performances,” Davis said. “I am greatly looking forward to a vast array of concerts, recitals, performances, events, and exhibitions from both the academic season and the professional Noorda season. There is great energy in the air as students return to in-person classes. I invite all students across UVU to join our exciting events.”

The school of arts plans to host many upcoming events — there will be eight in the month of October alone. There will be four music performances, three theatre performances and one dance performance. Wolverine’s can find out more information and get tickets to these upcoming events by visiting The Noorda website at https://www.uvu.edu/thenoorda/