The University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Forrest Anderson as the next dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Anderson's appointment is effective July 1 and follows the pending retirement of Dr. Mark Hollingsworth, who has served as dean of the college since 2016.

Anderson joins the university from Catawba College, where he served as vice provost, dean of humanities, and professor of English. Prior to joining Catawba, Anderson served as assistant professor of English at Arkansas Tech University.

At Catawba, Anderson led many outstanding efforts on behalf of the College of Humanities, including spearheading several strategic planning initiatives, including a grant-funded integration of the humanities across all disciples that resulted in programmatic growth and students' deepened understanding and engagement. He also has extensive experience collaborating with community partners; soliciting external grants and donations; leading SACSCOC accreditation processes; facilitating student retention, progression, and graduation initiatives; and sponsoring faculty development opportunities.

He received his PhD in English from Florida State University, his MFA in creative writing from the University of South Carolina, and his bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication & political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.