Seton Hall University’s College of Arts and Sciences appoints new dean

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University recently announced the appointment of Peter W. Shoemaker as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1.

“Dr. Shoemaker is a distinguished academician who possesses the experience, portfolio and vision needed to effectively lead the university,” Larry A. Robinson, provost and executive vice president, said in making the announcement.

A scholar of 17th-century French literature and culture, Shoemaker is the author of more than 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and two scholarly books. Areas of special interest include rhetoric and literature, the social history of literature, the novel and the Moralists. He received his Ph.D. in romance languages and literatures from Princeton University in 1997, where Shoemaker was a Jacob Javitts Fellow and the recipient of a French Government Fellowship that enabled him to study at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris from 1994 to 1995. He also holds an M.A. in romance languages and literatures from Princeton and a B.A. in French from the University of Chicago.

Shoemaker is currently serving as vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies, director of the university honors program and associate professor of French at The Catholic University of America. His collective responsibilities have included several aspects of academic administration and strategic planning, including initiatives and programs designed to improve retention of first-year students, review of the general education curriculum and assessment of student learning outcomes. In addition, Shoemaker has worked collaboratively with faculty, staff and students across The Catholic University of America campus to develop a sustainability program and agenda that includes an experiential component for students.

Prior to joining The Catholic University of America community in 2000, Shoemaker taught at Princeton University and Macalester College. As a member of the CUA faculty, he taught numerous courses in French language, literature and culture at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as the university’s honors program, and was the recipient of a Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in for the 2006-2007 school year.

  Seton Hall University