Molly McGehee has been appointed the next dean of Oxford College of Emory University effective July 1, 2026. A longtime faculty member and administrative leader at Oxford, she has served as interim dean of the college since Nov. 1, 2025.

“Dr. McGehee is exactly the right leader for Oxford College at this moment,” says Badia Ahad, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, who announced the appointment May 5. “Her genuine love for Oxford and its community is evident in the way she leads, and in the trust and momentum she has already built. I am thrilled to see her step into this role permanently.”

“She understands what makes Oxford extraordinary because she has spent more than a decade helping to cultivate it,” Ahad adds. “Her vision for the college’s future is grounded in her deep relationships with faculty, staff and students, and that is exactly the kind of leadership Oxford deserves.”

As dean, McGehee will be responsible for managing all academic and administrative functions, including advancing Oxford’s strategic plan as well as supporting the college’s vibrant community. Oxford College, the original location of the university founded in 1836, is today home to approximately 1,000 first- and second-year undergraduates and 81 full-time faculty.

“Oxford College holds a special place in the history and future of Emory University, and Dr. McGehee is exactly the leader this moment calls for,” says Interim President Leah Ward Sears 80L. “Her strong connection to the Oxford community and her collaborative leadership will strengthen not just Oxford, but Emory as a whole as we continue to advance our collective mission of education, discovery and service.”

McGehee, who earned her master’s and PhD degrees from Emory, joined Oxford College in 2014 as an associate professor of English and American studies. Prior to accepting the interim deanship, she served as senior associate dean for academic affairs, overseeing the academic experience, faculty development and scholarship, and strategic initiatives.

“Every position I have held — professor, associate dean, senior associate dean, interim dean — has provided preparation for this one,” she says. “What has remained constant is my commitment to building something worthy of the people who make it possible: a college where students are both challenged and cared for, where faculty and staff are supported and inspired, and where alumni lovingly look back and recognize Oxford as the place that profoundly shaped them.”

A ‘students first’ mentality

During her time at Oxford, McGehee has focused on strengthening the connections and experiences that foster student flourishing and a rewarding academic experience. As dean, she is charged with overseeing the academic community, building upon the momentum set by predecessors and ensuring that Oxford continues to thrive.

“Oxford is a unique place where intellectual ambition and genuine care for one another are not in tension, but are inseparable,” she says. “I am committed to enhancing the support mechanisms we have in place for student well-being; ensuring students have access to internships, global travel and other transformative opportunities; and exploring ways to support new course offerings.”

Her efforts to support scholarly growth include a recent $275,000 Teagle Foundation grant, in collaboration with Emory College of Arts and Sciences, that funded the Professional Advancement Through Humanities Study (PATHS) certificate program. The initiative, developed in partnership with Erin Tarver, interim senior associate dean of academic affairs at Oxford, offers four certificate areas — Social Responsibility and Ethics, Global Engagement, Creativity and Innovation, and Communication and Critical Thinking — to help first- and second-year students connect humanities study to their professional pathways.

A college instructor for more than two decades, she has taught classes on visual culture, African American literature, Southern women’s writing and first-year writing, and enriched students’ educational experiences through international and domestic travel courses to Japan, Hawai’i and throughout the American South.

McGehee has received numerous honors at Emory, most recently the 2024 Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award — the university’s highest faculty honor. The award recognizes exceptional teaching, significant contributions to scholarly life at Emory and high personal and professional standards.

As a scholar, McGehee has made noteworthy contributions to American studies and Southern literary studies, and her work has appeared in leading journals and edited collections. Her current book project, “Atlanta Fictions: Women Writers’ Urban Imaginaries,” explores representations of Atlanta in modern and contemporary fiction. Beyond her own research, she has served the profession with distinction, including as the former president of the Southern American Studies Association.

Enhancing faculty and staff development

In both her teaching and administrative roles at Oxford, McGehee has prioritized empowering her students and colleagues to do their best work. She ran the Oxford Center for Teaching & Scholarship (OCTS) for several years, oversaw the implementation of Oxford’s faculty mentoring program and classroom observation protocol, launched a course release program for associate professors and led development initiatives for aspiring faculty leaders.

“Oxford’s greatest asset has always been its people, and I am continuously struck by how much talent surrounds me,” she says. “I am deeply invested in developing leaders and want to make growth available to more people, through new positions, access to internal and external development opportunities, and the simple practice of trusting colleagues with meaningful work.”

She has collaborated closely with faculty, staff and students to transform the close-knit community, including playing a leadership role in the recent Oxford 2030 strategic planning process that aims to redefine the liberal arts education for the 21st century, elevate Oxford’s global presence, enhance the faculty and staff experience, and invest in the college’s physical spaces.

A personal commitment to Oxford

McGehee’s dedication to Oxford is reflected not just in her professional work but in her family’s strong ties to the community. Her husband, Daniel Parson, established Oxford’s organic farm; her son attends high school in Newton County; and McGehee herself is a board member of the Covington YMCA and the Newton County Arts Association.

“Oxford is not just where I work — it is where my family has built our life,” she says. “I am a member of the Oxford community in the fullest sense of that phrase. Serving as dean and thus as a formal ambassador to Newton County, to Atlanta and beyond is truly a privilege.”

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