WKU Welcomes New Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
Wenzhou-Kean University has recently welcomed Professor Celia Lam, who officially assumed her role as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the beginning of the semester.
As a distinguished professor, internationally recognized scholar and visionary leader, Professor Lam brings over her exceptional experience in teaching, academic research, and team management to this pivotal role.
Professor Celia Lam's career spans renowned institutions around the world. Prior to WKU, she has held faculty and administrative appointments at University of Nottingham Ningbo China, University of Notre Dame Australia, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
As a scholar in communication studies, she researches popular culture, with an emphasis on the celebrity-industrial complex and the commodification of celebrity dynamics. She sits on the editorial boards of several leading journals and academic publishers, and has served as a peer reviewer for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) for four consecutive years.
Professor Celia Lam’s arrival ushers in a fresh chapter where the college, and the university at large, will pursue greater excellence in education, research, and international collaboration.
"Where I hope to serve the college is to help the college to expand in research, to help the college expand in building additional connections with partners outside of WKU, with local industry, with local schools, with local companies, and also overseas international companies," said Professor Lam.
In outlining the future direction of CLA, Professor Lam identified the development of cross-college courses, interdisciplinary curricula, and extracurricular initiatives aimed at providing students with opportunities to engage with diverse academic disciplines.
Additionally, efforts to strengthen networks among colleges are underway to enhance intercollegiate collaboration. Such partnerships are expected to improve the university’s capacity to respond to national and provincial funding agencies, which increasingly prioritize collective institutional efforts to address pressing local and national challenges.
