The spring 2018 graduate from Morganton, N.C., begins a two-year term on the Board of Trustees June 1.
Dean is an Elon Honors Fellow who has been recognized as a Provost Scholar and has received grants for undergraduate research through the SURE Scholar, Wise Scholar, and Rawls Scholar programs. Her undergraduate research was completed with psychology professor Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler and is titled “A cross-cultural analysis of parents’ beliefs about outdoor and risky play.” She has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Psi Chi and Omicron Delta Kappa societies and has been listed on Elon’s President’s or Dean’s lists in every semester at Elon.
Dean participated in a Winter Term study abroad course in Costa Rica in 2017 and was an intern with the Carolina Refugee and Resettlement Agency, assisting with the Central American Minor Program. In addition, she was a member of Elon’s basketball pep band and served as an emergency medical technician in Burke and Alamance counties.
Dean has served as a lead office manager for the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement, a resident assistant and apartment manager with Residence Life, an executive board member for Elon Volunteers! and as a teaching assistant for Elon 101. During her junior year, Dean co-founded the “Phoenix Flops” program that shares stories of student resilience. She also served as a member of the Presidential Student Leadership Advisory Council.
Dean has previous experience with the Board of Trustees, having served as a student representative on the Presidential Search Committee from February to October 2017.