Dione Somerville, Ed.D.

President

Owens Community College

Dione Dorsey Somerville, Ed.D., was a member of the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance Class of 2019. Dr. Somerville is a senior leader in higher education with experience in strategic planning and managing organizational change. Her accomplishments span student learning initiatives, enrollment management, student success, program development, assessment, fundraising, construction and campus planning, Title IX compliance, community relations, and program development. Dr. Somerville was announced President of Owens Community College in May 2021, after previously serving as Executive Vice President of Hawkeye Community College.

Dr. Somerville previously served as the vice president for student affairs at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. In her tenure at Bloomsburg, Dr. Somerville has been focused on several major initiatives such as providing leadership to create the university’s first Division of Strategic Enrollment Management, assessing and revitalizing student housing including the construction of a $61.4 million suite-style residence hall with integrative learning space, retail dining venues, bookstore, and a mailroom featuring a state-of-the-art package delivery system, envisioning the student wellness initiative, creating the Center for Leadership and Engagement which facilitated the university’s initial community engagement classification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, creating the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, modernizing Greek Life and engaging Greek alumni, supporting military-affiliated students, providing leadership to expand sponsorship of intercollegiate sports offerings, providing leadership for transcripted out-of-class learning experiences through the general education curriculum approval process, and facilitating assessment efforts that led to the creation of learning domains and student learning outcomes to guide the work of the Division.

Prior to her position at Bloomsburg, Dr. Somerville served as dean of students at Iowa State University for four and a half years, leading the Academic Success Center, Greek Affairs, Recreation Services, Student Assistance, Multicultural Student Affairs, Judicial Affairs, and other functions. Key initiatives at Iowa State include creation of a pro-active intervention function for students of concern which is now considered a national best practice, major revision of student sexual misconduct policy, creation of scholarships targeting at-risk students, and a $52.8 million, 160,000 square foot student recreational facility renovation and expansion.