By Amber Meade, communications assistant, Office of University Communications

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Campbellsville University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Donna Hedgepath has announced Dr. Lisa Allen as dean of the university's School of Education, and Dr. Valerie Flanagan as the chair of the school's graduate programs. Both become effective July 1.

Allen was first employed by the university in 2011 as an assistant professor of education.

She has served as interim dean for the School of Education since July 2018.

As well as interim dean, Allen has been serving as associate professor of education and the chair of graduate programs at Campbellsville University.

Hedgepath said, “Dr. Allen is a gifted administrator with a strong collegial network in Kentucky and throughout national accrediting and professional agencies.

“She has a strong sense for higher education programming and compliance. The university is fortunate to have Dr. Allen and her vast level of experiences and leadership capacity.”

Allen taught graduate and undergraduate courses for the School of Education prior to taking the role as dean and is moving into this position after serving as associate dean and interim dean of the School of Education. The role as dean allows her to function as the academic and administration head of the School of Education.

Allen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from Asbury College in 1988 and attained her Master of Arts degree in English Secondary Education and her Rank I in Secondary Guidance Counselor Certification and her Rank IA in Supervisor of Instruction Certification from Western Kentucky University from1988 until 2003. She received her Ed.D. in Instruction and Administration from the University of Kentucky in 2009.

Allen has served as an English teacher and guidance counselor at Nelson County High School in Bardstown, Ky.

Allen was elected to the board of the Kentucky Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (KATCE) June 21 and was excited about the upcoming opportunity.

“I will be representing private colleges in Kentucky that have teacher education programs for a three-year term. I just found out and wanted to share the news,” Allen said.

Allen is married to Jay Allen, and they have two children, Trey and Lori. Trey is married to Sara Allen, and Lori is married to Nathan Petrie.

With Allen becoming dean, she is handing down chair of graduate programs to Dr. Valerie Flanagan, who has served as assistant chair of graduate programs and assistant professor of education.

Flanagan was first employed by Campbellsville University in 2016 as an assistant professor of education.

“Dr. Flanagan is a strong professional who is bringing our graduate education programs to a new level of excellence and expansion. She is a great professional and highly organized,” Hedgepath said.

Flanagan graduated from Lindsey Wilson College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 2008 and received a Master's in Education degree from there in 2011. She earned a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of the Cumberlands in 2015.

She was a sixth grade science teacher at Clinton County Middle School.

She is married to Jason Flanagan, and they have two children, Connor and Anthony.

Campbellsville University is a widely-acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 12,000 students offering over 100 programs of study including Ph.D., master, baccalaureate, associate, pre-professional and certification programs. The university has Kentucky based off-campus centers in Louisville, Harrodsburg, Somerset, Hodgenville and Liberty with instructional sites in Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Summersville. Out-of-state centers include two in California at Los Angeles and Lathrop, located in the San Francisco Bay region.  The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.

Campbellsville University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates, associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the status of Campbellsville University.