Simmons College

Dr. Charlena M. Seymour was named provost and chief academic officer in March 2009 and began her tenure July 1. Prior to Simmons, Dr. Seymour served as provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  Dr. Seymour, an expert in speech language pathology, brings more than 30 years of academic, administrative, and professional accomplishments to Simmons, including a substantial tenure at the UMass, where her other positions included director of the Communications Disorders Clinic, chair of the Department of Communications Disorders, and dean of the graduate school.  Dr. Seymour earned a B.F.A. in theatre arts from Howard University and an M.A. and Ph.D in speech and hearing science from The Ohio State University.