Warren Wilson Announces New Provost and Dean of the Faculty

After a national search that attracted 100 applicants, Warren Wilson College President Damián Fernández announced today that Brian Norman, Ph.D., will serve as the next Provost and Dean of the Faculty beginning June 1, 2026. Norman currently serves as Provost and Principal Academic Officer at Antioch College.

“Out of a number of stellar candidates, Brian surfaced from the get-go as a top choice,” Fernández said. “His record of achievements in areas of interest to us includes General Education, interdisciplinarity, and humanities. His affinity with our work program will help us advance our strategic plan and the implementation of our revised curriculum that embeds internships, community engagement, and a capstone project across the curriculum for every student.”

Norman brings two decades of experience—in organizational change, faculty development, curricular reform, institutional equity, diversified revenue streams and shared governance—across a number of institutions of higher education. 

“I am thrilled that Brian will be joining WWC,” said David Gliem, Special Assistant to the President for Grants and Innovation and co-chair of the Provost search committee. “In addition to an impressive record of scholarship, he brings a versatile skill set and depth of administrative experience that will be essential to moving the College forward and advancing the strategic priorities of the Progressive Promise for All. And he understands what we value as a community of scholars, teachers, and learners, and shares in the aspirations we have for our students.”

Inclusive excellence is core to Norman’s identity as a scholar and academic leader. A prolific author with a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University, Brian has published four books as well as numerous book chapters, articles, and essays. As the inaugural Dean of the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities at Simmons University in Boston, he diversified the faculty and established scholarships for students from underrepresented groups.

“This is a dream opportunity,” Norman said. “I am convinced by Warren Wilson’s distinct model of putting learning into action through meaningful work, civic engagement, and real-world solutions. I am inspired by President Fernández’s inclusive promise for all. And when I got the chance to visit this storied campus, the love of the place was palpable in the engaged crews and diverse communities who know how to roll up their sleeves and get things done, perhaps with a bit of joy along the way. This is how we change not only individual lives but also the world. I’m all in. My husband and I can’t wait to join this beloved community and beautiful region, which we will soon call home.”

Before his current role at Antioch, Norman served as the inaugural Dean of the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities at Simmons University in Boston where he worked with faculty and other community partners to found an interdisciplinary college worthy of its namesake to achieve the University strategic plan to bring together graduate, undergraduate, and online education across the professions and liberal arts. He also served as Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Diversity at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore where he oversaw faculty development, shared governance, and academic diversity initiatives. As a thought leader, he serves on the boards of the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD), the Great Lakes College Association Dean’s Council, and on the editorial boards of the James Baldwin Review and ACAD Leader. 

Norman replaces Jay Roberts, who will leave Warren Wilson College after this academic year to become Head at the Athenian School in Danville, CA.