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Professor of Theatre (retired) Phone 816-501-2411 Email charlene.gould

Dr. Charlene Gould retired as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. She oversaw academic and co-curricular programming for undergraduate and graduate majors, including professional licensure and accreditation in psychology and a professionally accredited social work program. The dean’s responsibilities include departmental strategic planning, program review, curriculum development and assessment, and budget oversight. In cooperation with the Vice-President of Academic Affairs. Throughout her career, Dr. Gould advanced strategic initiatives that promote the academic life of the college within the community and the university. One such initiative is a multi-million dollar performing arts center capital campaign project designed for the purposes of promoting the arts and creating a stronger business-academic alliance. Dr. Gould, who spearheaded this project with the President and Vice President of Advancement, helped coordinate a fundraising team of alumni, business professionals, and campus representatives. The new building began construction in spring 2019 and was completed in fall 2020.

Another initiative Dr. Gould advanced was the collaboration with faculty to globalize the curriculum, which includes short-term study away classes, study abroad, interdisciplinary and service-learning components. She was a member of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Advisory Council.

Dr. Gould, Professor of Theatre, was also Producing Artistic Director of Goppert Theatre at Avila. Dr. Gould earned her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in theatre and film with a cognate in women’s studies. She was a recipient of a post-doctoral fellowship at Northwestern University where she participated in the historical and interdisciplinary representation of the Holocaust. Other scholarships and teaching interests include directing, theatre history, feminist theory, and interdisciplinary courses.