Montclair State University Names Ronald Werner-Wilson as Dean of College for Community Health

Montclair State University has appointed Ronald Werner-Wilson, an expert on adolescent development and family science, as dean of the College for Community Health, effective June 1, 2025.

Werner-Wilson joins Montclair from North Dakota State University, where he served as a professor of Human Development and Family Science, dean of the College of Human Sciences and Education, interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. He played a key role in advocating for the merger of the College of Health Professions and the College of Human Sciences – even though it led to the elimination of his own dean position.

Excited to join Montclair, Werner-Wilson sees the University as a place that truly embraces educating all students in alignment with his values. “It’s a breath of fresh air to see a university that is really leaning into those ideas,” he said. “To have the opportunity to provide leadership is exciting.”

Commitment to Community Health

One of the key factors that drew Werner-Wilson to Montclair was the University’s strong commitment to community engagement. He specifically highlighted the recent partnership between Montclair State University and Montclair Township in launching New Jersey’s first Academic Health Department.

“That kind of community engagement, I take seriously. I’ve spent a fair bit of time working at land grant universities, where being engaged in the community is important,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to collaborating with folks in the college to support and strengthen those efforts.”

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Junius Gonzales said, “I’m delighted that Dr. Werner-Wilson has decided to take the helm of the College for Community Health. His background is deep and broad in many facets related to community health, including research and external partnerships, and his administrative experiences will be of tremendous value as the College charts its way forward. I truly look forward to working with him.”

Commitment to Higher Education

With a distinguished career spanning multiple institutions, Werner-Wilson has held leadership and research positions at the University of Kentucky, Iowa State University, Colorado State University and Western Michigan University. His work has largely focused on adolescents, marriage and family therapy and gender dynamics in these areas.

“Adolescents are going through so much in terms of trying to figure out who they are, trying to understand what’s happening to their bodies, trying to manage their emotions, learning how to be engaged with their friends – that’s a lot for somebody whose prefrontal cortex doesn’t get fully established until mid-20s,” Werner-Wilson said. “In terms of my volunteer work with adolescents, as well as my research and teaching in that area, it’s just a really rewarding part of the lifespan.”

Prior to North Dakota State University, he was a professor in the Family Sciences Department at the University of Kentucky, where he served as the Chellgren Endowed Professor for Research and Department Chair.

At Iowa State, Werner-Wilson was a founding member and led a multistate project on positive youth development examining how and why some youth thrive. Funded by the Department of Agriculture – “How Do Structured Out of School Activities Contribute to Positive Youth Development?” – the project studied the relationship between structured-out-of-school experiences and positive youth development and resulted in two published theses. He also served as director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Program and as an assistant and associate professor there.

Previously, he was an assistant professor and director of the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at Colorado State University and began his career as an assistant professor at Western Michigan University. While at the University of Kentucky, he received a National Institute for Mental Health grant to study couples communication.

In addition to his research, Werner-Wilson has authored numerous publications and a scholarly book, Developmental-Systemic Family Therapy with Adolescents, which integrates his expertise in adolescence and family therapy.

Werner-Wilson holds a PhD in Child and Family Development with a focus on Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Georgia. He also earned a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Georgia State University.

Looking Ahead at Montclair

Werner-Wilson takes a servant leadership approach to his work and will spend time listening and learning.

“What can I do to help the folks in the college be successful in creating opportunities and doing their work?” he said. “I’m excited about joining this group, and I’m looking forward to hitting campus and getting to work.”

Learn more about the College for Community Health at Montclair State University or contact the Media Relations team for assets or to schedule an interview.