Gary Hawkins

Dr. Hawkins brings 12 years of experience as associate dean for faculty, director of the Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence, and dean for teaching and learning at Warren Wilson College, in North Carolina, where he was a professor in the creative writing department.

As vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty, Hawkins will assume responsibility for all aspects of the academic mission, such as educational and research activities, budget management for academic affairs, and shared governance. Central to his work, Hawkins will lead, implement, and iterate Hampshire’s bold, new approach to college education, with its emphasis on tackling globally relevant questions in urgent need of solutions, empowering students to become agents of momentous change.

Hawkins has a long history of engagement and innovation in progressive learning environments, spanning from his own undergraduate education at the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands, in California, to his years as dean for teaching and learning at Warren Wilson. Throughout his career, he has embraced student-centered pedagogies and highlighted the science of learning. At the core of his leadership is supporting the creation of inclusive and anti-racist spaces for learning and growth. His creative practice informs his collaborative leadership: as a poet he is a systems maker, looking for patterns among gathered data and experiences; as a visual artist he is a design thinker, encouraging multiple drafts to both broaden a question and refine a solution.

“Dr. Hawkins brings enthusiasm for innovative, experimenting, entrepreneurial education, having sought those environments throughout his career as both a student and a professor,” says Hampshire College President Ed Wingenbach. “His commitment to Hampshire’s values is profound and obvious, and his passion for our distinctive mission is inspiring. His sense of humor, skillful facilitation, and empathic listening will make him an effective advocate for students, staff, and faculty.”

Hawkins has been on the faculty of Warren Wilson College since 2007. Before that, he held a variety of teaching positions at the University of Oklahoma, the University of Houston, and Rice University.

“I’m thrilled to join Hampshire in its next, experimenting chapter,” he says. “Already, I’ve been buoyed by the creativity, empathy, and integrity of the Hampshire community. As James Baldwin said in ‘A Talk to Teachers,’ let’s ‘go for broke.’”