About the Dean

Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh

Dr. Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh is the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. She joined the University of Richmond in July 2022.

Prior to joining the University of Richmond, Cavenaugh served as the dean of faculty and Winifred M. Warden Endowed Chair of Theatre & Dance at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Prior to that role, Cavenaugh served as the associate dean of Arts & Sciences and producing artistic director of the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College. She has been a faculty member at Louisiana State University and the University of Denver, and is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards. Cavenaugh’s teaching and research focuses on gender and performance, theater history, and American musical theater.

Cavenaugh’s book Medea’s Daughters: Forming and Performing Women Who Kill examines representations of women criminals in plays and television. Much of her scholarly and creative work focuses on foregrounding marginalized voices and placing these in dialogue with the traditional narratives of theater and dance. Cavenaugh is a member of Actor’s Equity, and has performed and directed in regional theaters across the country.

Cavenaugh completed a B.A. in policy studies from Dartmouth College, and an M.F.A. in dramaturgy from Brooklyn College, and a Ph.D. in theater history and dramatic criticism from the University of Washington. Read more about Dr. Cavenaugh.