Dean Lee M. Cohen. Photo by Kevin Bain/Communications
Dr. Lee M. Cohen is the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of psychology.
“The appointment of dean is an important decision and I very much appreciate being given the opportunity to lead the College,” said Cohen, former chair and professor of psychological sciences and director of the clinical psychology program at Texas Tech University. “I am looking forward to building upon existing relationships and forging new ones.”
Cohen has demonstrated exemplary personal and professional qualities as a leader and educator, said Morris Stocks, acting chancellor.
“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Lee Cohen has joined the University of Mississippi,” Stocks said. “He brings a deep understanding of the values of a liberal education, as well as focused energy and enthusiasm for the continued transformation of our university.”
Several university-wide awards for teaching and academic achievements mark Cohen’s 15 years at Texas Tech. He has received more than $1.5 million from the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse, and other funding agencies for his research examining the behavioral and physiological mechanisms that contribute to nicotine use and dependence. His interests include the development of optimal smoking cessation treatments. Cohen holds a BA in psychology from the University of California at San Diego and an MA and PhD in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University.
He and his wife, Michelle, an occupational therapist and former assistant professor at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, have three children: Ross, 12, Rachel, 9, and Rebecca, 3.