A member of the Boston College faculty since 1988, Maureen E. Kenny was recently appointed the ninth Dean of the Lynch School of Education (LSOE) by University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J.

Kenny has served BC in a number of different roles over the years. She began as an assistant professor in counseling psychology and was eventually promoted, first to associate professor and then to fulltime professor, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students.

In 2007, Kenny became Associate Dean for Faculty and Academics of the Lynch School, and beginning in 2011, she acted as interim dean for two years. Her involvement at BC does not end there, though—Kenny also served as dissertation liaison, chair of the Department of Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology, and program director for M.A. and Ph.D. programs in counseling.

Considering her extensive history with BC, Kenny said her past has prepared her to successfully fulfill her new role as dean.

“I believe that I know the Lynch School and Boston College very well, and I am deeply committed to the mission of the school and the University,” she said.

Kenny said that her time at BC has enabled her to foster a diverse range of connections, both inside and outside of LSOE, which will prove beneficial to the job.

“I know the Lynch School students, their aspirations and concerns, and also, I know the faculty well and the strengths and perspectives that they bring to their work,” she said.

She discussed the advantages of her relationships with faculty in other disciplines, too, calling them “very important collaborators in advancing the work of our school.”
Kenny is not only well acquainted with the BC community and its concerns—her sense of awareness extends to local, national, and international issues in education and applied psychology, which provide the context for her work in LSOE.

Even with her comprehensive experience, though, Kenny recognizes that there will be certain obstacles to overcome in her position. “The challenge for the next two years will be to advance short-term goals and begin long range planning,” Kenny said, mentioning the current “process of strategic visioning” for the school.  
“I am working with department chairs and faculty subcommittees and task forces on moving this forward,” she said when asked how she intended to achieve the goals for the Lynch School.

According to U.S. News World Report, the Lynch School is currently ranked 19th in the United States, and Kenny said that continually innovating is of imperative importance to keeping the Lynch School at the forefront when it comes to both education and rankings.

“We are a great school and will continue to stay at the top,” Kenny said. “We are driven by a strong mission.”
In order to maintain the school’s impressive status, Kenny references several solutions, including “continuing to admit exceptionally talented students, hiring strong faculty, and providing students, staff, and faculty with the resources that they need to excel.”
Expounding further on the Lynch School’s standing among its peers, Kenny again alluded to the importance of generating strong and lasting relationships.

“Our relationships with school and community partners locally, nationally, and internationally are also a dimension of our strength,” she said. “These relationships will continue to be strong and will grow, as we build on our partnerships for educational purposes and seek to change the role of faculty scholarship in informing educational and social policy.”
Kenny also hopes to strengthen relationships with undergraduate and graduate LSOE alumni. As she works to encourage people to work together, she hopes that LSOE will make persistent progress under her guidance.

“We are in very good hands as we move forward,” said Diana Pullin, Lynch School professor of education law and public policy and LSOE dean from 1987-94, in a press release regarding Kenny’s new role.