Jennifer Miller named dean of Simpson College Continuing, Graduate and Online Education

Simpson College has announced Jennifer Miller as dean of continuing, graduate and online education. Miller has spent the last 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as dean of liberal arts and sciences at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.

As dean of the continuing, graduate and online education, Miller will oversee Simpson’s nationally-ranked evening and online undergraduate programs, three master’s programs and four post-baccalaureate certificate programs. Miller will be based out of Simpson’s West Des Moines campus.

“I’m excited to have Jennifer join the team at Simpson College in this important role,” said John Woell, senior vice president and academic dean. “Throughout the search process, Jennifer impressed the committee with her breadth of knowledge, experience in the field and insightful questions about programs. She is a proven leader in delivering flexible educational options for adult learners and comes to Simpson at a time when opportunities for growth abound.”

Miller spent two years at Black Hawk College, working with faculty in transfer disciplines across two campuses and dual credit offerings in area high schools. She supervised the associate of arts online degree program and helped develop support services for online students.

Prior to her time at Black Hawk College, Miller served as provost at Mercy College of Health Sciences in Des Moines for the 2018-19 academic year. She spent the previous 16 years at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. Following 13 years as a faculty member in the education department, Miller in 2015 became associate dean of academic affairs for professional and graduate studies and achieved the rank of full professor. As associate dean, Miller oversaw all aspects of the academic program for nine majors across five campuses.

Miller earned her bachelor’s from the University of Akron in 1989 and her master’s from Kent State University in 1993. She earned a doctorate of philosophy in curriculum and instruction from Kent State in 2007. She began her career as a high school classroom teacher and is actively involved with the Higher Learning Commission. She has published research in various journals and presented at local and national conferences related to her research in adolescent literature, middle school philosophy and best practices in teaching.

About Simpson College
Simpson College is a private, liberal arts college located in Iowa with campuses in Indianola, West Des Moines and online. Founded in 1860, the college has 1,268 undergraduate and graduate students. Simpson offers 74 majors, minors and programs in addition to three graduate programs. Outside of the classroom, Simpson is a member of the NCAA Division III American Rivers Conference, hosts eight Greek houses on campus and sponsors many extracurricular options for student involvement.

Contact Information
Bryan Geelan, marketing communication director
Direct: 515-961-1608
Email: bryan.geelan@simpson.edu