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Hendrix College Names Special Assistant to the President

Corwin, CourtneyCONWAY, Ark. (January 30, 2014) – Courtney Lee Corwin has been named Special Assistant to the President of Hendrix College. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, she will take a central role in new presidential initiatives including strategic planning, branding, community engagement, and diversity.

Corwin will join the Hendrix community on June 1 from Southern Methodist University, where she has served as Director of Development for SMU’s Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences since 2007.

“Courtney Corwin brings an impressive range of talents and professional experience to Hendrix,” said incoming Hendrix College President Dr. Bill Tsutsui, who is completing his tenure as Dean of Dedman College. “She has worked closely with me on every major initiative I’ve undertaken at SMU, from writing Dedman College’s first strategic plan to the founding of an interdisciplinary institute.” 

Corwin managed Dedman College’s development and community engagement program for SMU’s Second Century Campaign, including raising leadership and major gifts, stewardship, event planning, and board management, and assumed additional administrative and project management responsibilities for the Dean.

“She has a deep respect for academic life and has collaborated on a daily basis with faculty, staff, students, alumni, board members, and donors,” said President Tsutsui.

A native of Waco, Texas, Corwin earned a bachelor’s degree in art history and German and master’s degree in art history from SMU and completed a master’s degree in German literature and culture studies from Indiana University. She has spent 18 years leading alumni, development, and public relations programs in private primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions in Dallas. Her strengths include complex project management, creating a sense of community, and relationship building.

“I am honored to become a contributing member of a nationally recognized liberal arts institution, and I am thrilled to become part of the Hendrix College family and the central Arkansas community,” said Corwin. “I have been particularly struck by the strong and inclusive culture among Hendrix students, faculty, and staff, and the deep commitment of alumni and board members to the College and its values.”

Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. For the sixth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country’s “Up and Coming” liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report.  Hendrix is featured in the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, as well as the 2014 Princeton Review’s The Best 378 CollegesForbes magazine's list of America's Top Colleges, and the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu