College of Arts & Sciences

Beth Ferro Mitchell is interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. She previously served as Chair of Le Moyne College’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences for over a decade. Dr. Mitchell has a longstanding commitment to the College’s mission of educating and caring for the whole student: mind, body, and spirit. Her interests in the biological sciences range from cell biology (the mechanisms cells use to move), to bioethics, particularly issues of social justice and sustainability as they relate to the impacts of human behavior on the global environment. Dr. Mitchell earned a B.S. in Biology from Trinity College (Hartford, CT), a Ph.D. in Biology from Syracuse University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine.

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Dixie M. Blackley is associate dean of Arts and Sciences. She works closely with the dean on faculty evaluations and on various initiatives that promote academic excellence within Arts and Sciences. She represents the Office of the Dean on several College-wide committees, Faculty Senate committees, and special projects.

Prior to joining the Dean’s office in January 2012, Dr. Blackley was a key member of the leadership teams for the College’s decennial evaluation (2005-2006) and periodic review (2011) by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Most recently, she co-chaired the leadership team for Le Moyne’s decennial evaluation (2015-2016) by the Commission.

In her academic department, Dr. Blackley is professor of economics and has taught both introductory and upper-level courses, including Econometrics and the Economics of Poverty.

Dr. Blackley graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in Mathematics and Economics. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Dr. Blackley began her teaching career at Le Moyne College in the fall semester of 1982.

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Jeanne Darby is assistant dean of Arts and Sciences. She is responsible for many of the operational functions of the Dean’s office, from student-centered initiatives such as the annual Senior Honors Convocation and academic integrity issues, to faculty processes such the administration of course and personnel evaluation policies. In addition, Jeanne works with department chairs and the Registrar's office to manage course scheduling and enrollments. She is responsible for handling most aspects of adjunct faculty activity, from the creation of appointment letters to acting as liaison with Human Resources regarding adjunct personnel issues.

Jeanne graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Linguistics and earned her M.S.Ed. in General Education from Le Moyne College in 2005. She began her career at Le Moyne in 2000 as a staff assistant in the Academic Support Center. Less than a year later, she joined the Arts and Sciences dean's office.

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Melissa Short is the Office Services Coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences. In this capacity, she assists the Dean of Arts & Sciences, hires and supervises work-study students and Staff Assistants, as well as many other operational functions in the Dean’s office. Some of her responsibilities include the processing of student and faculty forms, course evaluations, faculty travel requests, as well as the planning and implementation of Dean’s office events. In addition, Melissa works with several other Arts & Sciences departments and campus wide committees.

Melissa graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Dietetics. Before coming to Le Moyne, she worked at several non-profit organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, and she also worked for The Princeton Review. Melissa began her career at Le Moyne as administrative assistant to the Dean of Arts and Sciences in 2010.

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