Pennsylvania native, Matt Anderson, traveled down to South Georgia this year to become the new Dean of Arts and Sciences at ABAC. Anderson began his undergraduate at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania where he studied psychology, focusing on animal behavior.
He relates his experience from Susquehanna University to ABAC in Tifton claiming they are very similar, “People would say, ‘oh you’re coming from Pennsylvania so this must be a big change.’ Yes, and no, because rural central Pennsylvania looks very similar to Tifton. It feels very familiar to me.” Anderson furthered his education at Kent State University in Ohio where he pursued his masters and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology with a specialty in Biological Psychology.
After spending most of his life working with experiments, animals and biology, he took a bigger step in administration with a job as a program director for psychology at St. Joe’s University. He then became an associate dean of social sciences at the college. Anderson made a way for student success as he worked as an associate dean of the college trying to help with student engagement and student involvement.
His job consists of working with department chairs, working closely with faculty members and trying to create plans to help enhance the vision and identity of ABAC. “We are working on a strategic plan for ABAC, we’re taking a look at Destination ABAC, and reviewing and revising it. Once that’s done, I am going to propose a school-wide strategic plan that will be in line with the college-wide plan.” Anderson plans on building relationships and engagements that will help achieve his new strategic plan for ABAC.
