University Names Vincent C. Alfonso Interim Dean of the College for Education and Engaged Learning

Vincent C. Alfonso, PhD, has been named inaugural interim dean of the College for Education and Engaged Learning at Montclair State University, effective July 17, 2023.

Alfonso will serve as the lead academic and administrative officer for the new College, which will initially comprise the departments of Teaching and Learning, Educational Foundations, Educational Leadership, and the Teacher Education and Teacher Development doctoral program.

The new College, which also includes the nation’s first established Center of Pedagogy, the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health, and has a long history of successfully securing grants from federal, state and private foundation sources, is ideally positioned to align with current education trends and to adapt to future change.

The mission of the College is grounded in developing academic programming that reflects the changing landscape of P-12 education, higher education and the needs of our community partners, as well as in modeling positive supports and inclusive practices of diverse individuals to normalize the tenets of anti-racism, social justice, equity, diversity and belonging.

“Dean Alfonso brings a wealth of experience and stellar leadership to this role, and I look forward to seeing how he will shape our new College,” says Montclair Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales. “We are also extremely appreciative of Interim Dean Katrina Bulkley’s stewardship of the College of Education and Human Services as we worked to create a new vision for the College for Education and Engaged Learning.”

Alfonso brings more than 30 years of professional experience as a psychologist, consultant, educator and academic officer to his role at Montclair.

He is a former Dean and professor in the School of Education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Alfonso also served as Interim Dean at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University in Bronx, New York, where he was responsible for creating a faculty governance and structure, working with program chairs to create academic policies and maintaining budget oversight.

Alfonso’s past experience as a psychologist in school districts and mental health centers in the New York metropolitan area included counseling, conducting psychoeducational evaluations, parent and teacher consultations and clinical research.

“I am ecstatic to join the team at Montclair State University because of its academic excellence, research productivity and commitment to an all-inclusive higher education community,” says Alfonso. “I look forward to a dynamic, productive and successful year. Onward and upward!”

Alfonso holds a PhD and master’s degree in Clinical/School Psychology from Hofstra University.

For more information about the College for Education and Engaged Learning, visit montclair.edu/ceel.