Intersections: A Discussion with Bonnie Thornton Dill
Facilitated by Gwen D'Arcangelis and Minita Sanghvi
Bonnie Thornton Dill was appointed dean of the University of Maryland’s (UMD) College of Arts and Humanities in 2011. She joined the university in 1991 as professor and served as chair of the women’s studies department for eight years. As dean, she oversees three schools, 11 departments and 20 research centers. She champions a range of issues, including increased support for arts and humanities research as well as increased opportunities for diversity and inclusion in the curriculum and in the recruitment and retention of students, faculty and staff. Consistent with those interests, she appointed the college’s first associate dean for research and hired staff who have helped successfully secure federal and foundation grants for the college. Thornton Dill has also overseen an expansion in the number of faculty of color at the college and garnered public and private support for initiatives designed to apply arts and humanities scholarship to the everyday lives of underserved communities. She also provides leadership on campus-wide initiatives that have established interdisciplinary research centers tailored to address pressing public issues and is nurturing emerging degree programs at the intersections of arts, humanities and STEM.
A pioneering scholar on the intersections of race, class and gender in the U.S. with an emphasis on African-American women, work and families, she is founding director of both the Center for Research on Women at the University of Memphis and the Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity at UMD. Her scholarship includes three books and numerous articles. Her current research examines the experiences of historically underrepresented minority faculty in research universities, focusing specifically on the impact of occupational stress on their physical and mental health as well as their career paths.
Thornton Dill is former president of the National Women’s Studies Association (2010-2012); former vice president of the American Sociological Association (2005-2008); and former chair of the Committee of Scholars for Ms. magazine.
She has received recognition as an outstanding mentor, scholar and teacher, including the Jessie Bernard Award and the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award, both administered by the American Sociological Association; the University System of Maryland Board of Regents award for mentoring; and the Eastern Sociological Society’s Robin Williams Jr. Distinguished Lectureship. In 2009-10, she was appointed the Stanley Kelley, Jr. Visiting Professor for Distinguished Teaching in the Department of Sociology at Princeton University.
She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees in sociology and human relations, respectively, from New York University and her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Rochester.