Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Dr. Mary Anderson | President’s Cabinet | University of West Florida
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Dr. Mary Anderson

Biography

Dr. Mary Anderson currently serves as the Interim Vice President and Dean of Students for the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs at the University of West Florida. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for a broad portfolio of student-centered departments and initiatives that support student success, wellbeing, and engagement through a comprehensive co-curricular experience.

Dr. Anderson joined UWF in 2021 as the Dean of Students and has most recently served as Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, where she oversaw key student affairs areas of the division while advancing divisional priorities. She brings over 25 years of experience in higher education, with expertise in residence life, student conduct, crisis response, case management, mental health, and student advocacy. She is trained in threat assessment and management and has served on multiple campus threat assessment and behavioral intervention teams. She currently chairs the UWF Campus Care Team, a multi-disciplinary team that promotes campus safety through proactive, coordinated responses to students of concern.

She has presented nationally on mental health and case management in higher education settings and is a recognized leader in supporting holistic student wellbeing. She is also the co-author of a chapter titled “Connecting Conduct and Mental Health” in Conduct and Community: A Residence Life Practitioner’s Guide, demonstrating her commitment to supporting student mental health while upholding community standards.

A proud alumna of the University of West Florida, Dr. Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from UWF, a master’s degree in college student affairs from the University of South Florida, and a doctoral degree in higher education administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.