KU alum to head Fine Arts

A music psychologist who has held leadership roles at the universities of Iowa and Arizona will return to his alma mater as the dean of KU’s School of Fine Arts.

Steven K. Hedden, a Colby native and currently dean of Fine Arts at Wichita State University, will begin his new position on July 1.

He succeeds Toni-Marie Montgomery, who is departing to become dean of music at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Hedden, who earned three degrees in music education at KU, was named dean at Wichita State in 2002. He had been at the University of Arizona since 1987, serving as College of Fine Arts vice dean for academics and research since 2000.

He also taught for 15 years at the University of Iowa, six of which were as chair of the music education department. His career includes teaching a year at KU in 1970-71 and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1971-72.

He was an elementary and secondary instrumental and general music teacher in DeSoto public schools from 1964 to 1969.

“KU’s School of Fine Arts has a well-deserved reputation, nationally and internationally, for the quality of its programs, and both Dean [Peter] Thompson and Dean Montgomery have provided outstanding leadership for the school in recent years,” Hedden said. “I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with my new colleagues to enhance the school’s record of accomplishments by faculty, students and alumni.”