School of Arts & Sciences
Head: Celeste M Gagnon
Administrative Assistant: Beth A. Fayette
TEL: (315) 267-2231 210 Carson Hall
Visit School of Arts & Sciences Site| Name | Contact Information |
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Beth A. FayetteAdministrative Assistant 2 School of Arts & Sciences
Beth A. FayetteAdministrative Assistant 2Carson Hall 210
fayettba@potsdam.edu
More Info about Administrative Assistant 2 Beth A. Fayette |
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Celeste M GagnonDean School of Arts & Sciences
Celeste M GagnonDeanCarson Hall 219
gagnoncm@potsdam.edu
Celeste Maire Gagnon serves as the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. She is dedicated to innovative and interdisciplinary curricular programs that are student-centered, experiential-focused, and integrate a wide variety of communities, across and beyond campus. Dr. Gagnon joined SUNY Potsdam after serving for 18 years at Wagner College, where she was the inaugural chair of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Before taking on this role, she was professor of anthropology, teaching in anthropology, environmental studies, health sciences, and first-year programs. She was the first woman to hold the Megerle Endowed Chair in Science. Dr. Gagnon was also active in faculty co-governance, serving on the Faculty Personnel and Academic Review Committees, and as Coordinator of the innovative Intermediate Learning Community Program. Dr. Gagnon has connected campus to community. Her first-year program courses brought undergraduate students into local minority-majority public schools, working with 4th grade students to explore the culture and health and food choices, and with high school students creating near-peer mentoring for scientific research and information literacy. In spring of 2025 she and Dr. Sara J. Scott, together with students, community partners, and supported by a Mellon Foundation Periclean Faculty Leadership grant, hosted the participatory exhibit Hostile Terrain 94. Dr. Gagnon earned her Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, her Master of Arts degree at Arizona State University and her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Delaware. Trained in biocultural anthropology and archaeology, her scholarship employs method and theory from social sciences, natural sciences and humanistic perspectives to investigate the effects of economic and sociopolitical change on human health and diet. In support of this research, Dr. Gagnon partnered with MOCHE Inc., a not-for-profit organization that developed community-engaged archaeological projects in Peru. These projects brought undergraduates into the field to work directly with members of the rural communities in which the archaeological sites under investigation were located. Projects varied from the construction of potable water systems, composting latrines, ventilated wood cooking stoves, constructing school buildings, and sponsoring fairs that brought a range of healthcare professionals to rural villages to provide care. Through this work, MOCHE Inc. supported the creation of village-level community groups that served community needs. More Info about Dean Celeste M Gagnon |
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Shiho ImaiAssociate Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Associate Professor, History Interdisciplinary Studies, History, School of Arts & Sciences
Shiho ImaiAssociate Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Associate Professor, HistoryCarson Hall 210
imais@potsdam.edu
View CVI was born in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to Bronxville, New York when I was six years old. I recently discovered that my grade school teacher graduated from Potsdam in 1969! When I was in fifth grade, my parents suddenly announced that we were going back to Japan. I still remember that last day of school. My dream of returning to the U.S. was finally realized during my junior year of college at Sophia University (上智大学), as an exchange student to Pomona College. After graduating from Sophia University, I worked for Dentsu Inc., an advertising agency in Tokyo. Here I learned the basics of marketing, copywriting, and sales promotion among other things. Little did I know that this experience would become useful in studying history. I received my M.A. from Tufts University and Ph.D. from Brown University. My dissertation, "Creating the Nisei Market: Japanese American Consumer Culture in Honolulu, 1920-1941," explores the relationship between advertising in the immigrant press and Japanese American identity. At Potsdam I teach Premodern and Modern Japanese History, U.S. History Since 1877, and specialized seminars. One of my seminars, "Imagining Asia: Intercultural Encounters Between the U.S. and Asia," examines the role of Asia in shaping American culture. I also teach Japanese women's history from ancient times to the present. In my free time, I like to travel with my husband, Takashi. We try to visit the national parks every summer. More Info about Associate Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Associate Professor, History Shiho Imai |
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Mollie A MayetteAdministrative Assistant 1 Women's and Gender Studies Program, Mathematics, Politics, Anthropology, Public Health, Psychology, School of Arts & Sciences, Sociology & Criminal Justice
Mollie A MayetteAdministrative Assistant 1Morey Hall 102
mayettma@potsdam.edu
More Info about Administrative Assistant 1 Mollie A Mayette |
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Krista L. MedoSenior Assistant Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Interim Assistant Provost Provost & Academic Affairs, School of Arts & SciencesKrista L. MedoSenior Assistant Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Interim Assistant ProvostCarson Hall 210
medokl@potsdam.edu
More Info about Senior Assistant Dean, School of Arts & Sciences & Interim Assistant Provost Krista L. Medo |
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Nichole M. WilsonAdministrative Assistant 1 Physics, Environment and Sustainability, Chemistry, Biology, School of Arts & Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Computer Science |
