February 21, 2022
Nancy LaGreca, Ph.D., will step into her new role on June 1
Following a national search, St. Mary’s University today named Nancy LaGreca, Ph.D., as the next Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
LaGreca is currently a Professor of Latin American Literature and Culture at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. Her appointment as Dean begins June 1.
“In my conversations with Nancy, she shared that her heart and future are with St. Mary’s,” said St. Mary’s President Thomas M. Mengler, J.D. “She is drawn to the Marianist mission to cultivate education in faith, empathy and civic duty in all areas of the student experience.”
LaGreca’s area of study focuses on narratives of modernity, and she has taught a broad range of texts in the original Spanish language. She received her undergraduate degree at the State University of New York at Geneseo and her master’s and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Texas at Austin.
She has served in several administrative roles at the University of Oklahoma, most recently as the Faculty Fellow for the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Other roles include Associate Dean of the Graduate College and Chair of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics.
“As a Hispanist, I value St. Mary’s University’s status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution,” LaGreca said. “I plan to continue and expand initiatives that celebrate the student body’s diverse Latin American heritages. I see tremendous potential in St. Mary’s University’s future, and I look forward to working with faculty, staff, students and University leadership to turn the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ aspirational goals into realities.”
As a first-generation college student, the Marianist mission’s focus on social justice and ethical leadership resonates with LaGreca. Throughout her career, she has cultivated inclusive pedagogy in the classroom and best practices to support diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.
“I plan to continue and expand initiatives that celebrate the student body’s diverse Latin American heritages.”
Nancy LaGreca, Ph.D.
“I am delighted that Nancy LaGreca will be joining the St. Mary’s community,” said Jason Pierce, Ph.D., St. Mary’s Provost-Elect and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “She brings a strong commitment to the St. Mary’s mission, a track record of program innovation and faculty collaboration, and a deep sense of how the liberal arts prepare students for professional success and personal fulfillment.”