Dr. Dill New Humanities Dean College'S First African American Female
October 14, 2011
ARHU Dean Bonnie Thorton Dill's strength behind the friendly smile is highlighted in this profile. By Aline Barros
ARHU Dean Bonnie Thorton Dill's strength behind the friendly smile is highlighted in this profile.
By Aline Barros, The Eclipse
Dr. Bonnie Thornton Dill, the new dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, is far from what most people would expect from a traditional college administrator. She is a strong woman with a friendly smile, and has a friendly way of drawing one's attention. But even more memorable then her warm and welcoming persona is the fact that Dill is the first African-American female dean of Maryland's College of Arts and Humanities.
"Everybody is kind of looking at what you do. Or, there is the sense that everyone is looking at what you do to see whether ‘people like you,' would be appropriate for these kinds of things in the future," Dill said, describing the responsibilities and pressures of her new position. "But ultimately, you do your best."
The well-known dean grew up in the racially divided, politically-charged 1960s Chicago. Dill said her childhood education was especially unique because both her primary and secondary schools were located on the University of Chicago campus. It was there that she was surrounded by professors' children and a continuous learning environment, and cites the experience as heavily influencing her scholarly life.