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Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon Joins SUNY Potsdam as New Dean of The School of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon to Lead SUNY Potsdam's School of Arts and Sciences

Potsdam, NY (08/04/2026) — SUNY Potsdam is proud to welcome Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon to lead The School of Arts and Sciences, as its new dean. She brings a combination of strategic leadership, a strong commitment to academic excellence, and a sustained focus on building community to her new role. Gagnon joined The School of Arts and Sciences on July 6.

"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to join the amazing Potsdam community. And I look forward to working collaboratively with all members of the College to serve our students and build our future," Gagnon said.

Before coming to Potsdam, Gagnon most recently served as the inaugural chair of the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Wagner College, where she had been a professor of anthropology for 15 years. During her time at Wagner, she engaged in innovative and interdisciplinary curricular development that is student-centered, experiential-focused, and which integrates a wide variety of communities, across and beyond campus. Most recently, as co-lead, she helped her team develop a new interdisciplinary, community-engaged environmental justice curriculum, "Cultivating Justice," supported by a Mellon Foundation grant.

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.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon as dean of SUNY Potsdam's School of Arts and Sciences," said President Suzanne R. Smith. "Dr. Gagnon's commitment to fostering excellence, supporting research and scholarship, and creating meaningful applied educational experiences makes her an outstanding addition to our leadership team. I am confident that her vision and expertise will help strengthen The School of Arts and Sciences, and advance our mission to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world."

As she joins The School of Arts and Sciences, Gagnon said she is focused on building on the strengths of the diverse programs offered in the School, and to support students as they prepare for lives of meaning and success.

To learn more about SUNY Potsdam's School of Arts and Sciences, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/aas.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon poses for a portrait in the Academic Quad.

Dr. Celeste Marie Gagnon is the new dean of SUNY Potsdam’s School of Arts and Sciences.

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