Filling-Brown will lead the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences
RADNOR, Pa. (June 26, 2019)—Cabrini University appointed Michelle Filling-Brown, PhD, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Filling-Brown previously served an interim role in this position and was recently promoted to full professor status.
“Dr. Filling-Brown has served the institution admirably this year as Acting Dean,” said President Donald B. Taylor, PhD. “The administration is eager to continue our collaboration with her as we work to advance Cabrini’s mission and academic priorities.”
For more than a decade, Filling-Brown has been instrumental in building transformational experiences for Cabrini students. She has led the development of the Gender and Body Studies major/minor, helped strengthen the first-year student experience, and cultivated relationships with community partners to enrich University curriculum.
“The experience and dedication Dr. Filling-Brown brings to the School and to the students radiates throughout our community,” said Chioma Ugochukwu, PhD, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We value her insight and look forward to what she continues to accomplish in this well-deserved role.”
In 2008, Filling-Brown joined the Cabrini English Department as Assistant Professor of English. Prior to her appointment as interim Dean, she served as the department Chair since 2015. In addition to composition studies, Filling-Brown’s research examines beauty culture and 20th-century African-American women writers. Much of her scholarship focuses on teaching writing through community engagement and high-impact practices in the First-Year Experience, specifically Living and Learning Communities.
With support from the KatherineAlexandra Foundation, Filling-Brown created Cabrini's major/minor program in Gender and Body Studies and the National Undergraduate Conference on Body Image. She has also cultivated relationships with multiple community partners including the PA Youth Advisory Board and the Purple Feet Foundation, in order to support her ECG 100 and 300 courses that focus on foster care and urban education.
Filling-Brown was awarded the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 2014 and the 2012 Rose and Raymond Green Faculty Scholars Award. She has also served as Chair of the Assessment Subcommittee (2012-2015) during the Middle States Decennial and has presented at multiple Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) General Education and Assessment Conferences.
A classically trained dancer, she has served as the choreographer for Cabrini's theater since her hiring and served as the Artistic Director from 2015-2017.
Filling-Brown earned doctoral and master’s degrees in English from the University of Delaware, and a bachelor’s in English education from West Chester University.
About Cabrini University
Founded in 1957 by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cabrini University is a Catholic institution that empowers students to become advocates of social change through an Education of the Heart, focusing on academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development.
Cabrini enrolls approximately 1,300 undergraduates in more than 35 majors, pre-professional programs, concentrations, and minors on its serene 112-acre campus located 30 minutes from Philadelphia. The University also enrolls 900 students in graduate, doctoral, and professional studies programs at its main campus in Radnor, PA, and at five off-campus locations.