Saint Joseph's University Names Maryland Resident New Dean

PHILADELPHIA, PA (01/08/2014)(readMedia)-- PHILADELPHIA (January 8, 2014) -Amanda McCombs Thomas, Ph.D., a psychologist and administrator from Loyola University Maryland, a fellow Jesuit institution in Baltimore, has been named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Joseph's University. She will assume her new position on July 1, 2014.

Thomas has held a number of administrative positions at Loyola since 1999, including associate chair and chair of the psychology department, and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. For the last five years, Thomas has served as associate vice president for graduate studies, overseeing more than 40 discipline offerings and more than 120 degrees and certificates across Loyola's College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and the Sellinger School of Business and Management. She began her tenure at Loyola in 1991 as an assistant professor of psychology.

"It is an honor and privilege to join the community of Saint Joseph's University," says Thomas. "I am excited to have the opportunity to work together with those in the College of Arts and Sciences and throughout the University on our shared academic goals, steeped in the rich tradition of Jesuit education."

A licensed psychologist, Thomas' research interests lie in family and childhood psychology. She has studied the effects of divorce and parental depression on children, as well as anxiety disorders in children, trichotillomania (hair pulling), and behavioral family treatment. She is a prolific scholar, who has published widely in her discipline.

Thomas holds a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, and a master's and doctoral degree from the University of Georgia.

"Dr. Thomas joins Saint Joseph's at a critical time for the College of Arts and Sciences, which is poised to meet the changing demands on higher education," says University Provost Brice Wachterhauser, Ph.D. "I have confidence in her capacity to lead the College, to quickly discern its strengths and challenges, and to encourage growth and programmatic innovation. We're pleased to welcome a scholar and administrator of Dr. Thomas' caliber to Saint Joseph's University."

Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 152 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,650 traditional undergraduate day students, 700 College of Professional and Liberal Studies adult undergraduates, and 3,600 graduate and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was named to the 2012 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.