Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

We are pleased to announce that Pratt Institute has selected Dr. Peter West to serve as the next dean of the school of liberal arts and sciences, effective July 7, 2025.

Dr. West joins Pratt from Mercy University in New York, where he currently serves as the dean of the school of liberal arts. During his five-year tenure at Mercy University, Dr. West secured over $5 million in federal grants to transform undergraduate education and improve outcomes for underserved populations. He has been integral in advancing interdisciplinary, equity-minded studies—improving inclusion, well-being, and success for both students and faculty. He also assumed the role as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs for a year, and during that short time accomplished a great deal, including updating hiring protocols to emphasize equitable search processes and faculty diversity and establishing institutional partnerships to expand student learning opportunities and build enrollment pipelines.

Prior to his time at Mercy, Dr. West held leadership roles at Adelphi University, including associate provost for student success, associate dean for general education and academic operations, and chair of the English department. He also served as assistant professor of English at the University of Wyoming.

Dr. West holds a PhD in English from Emory University and a BA in English from Wesleyan University.

Read the full press release here.

Ben Tobin led this search with Steph Simon and Alaine Small.