Scott P. Kissau
Scott P. Kissau, Ph.D., was appointed Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost for Research at the College of Charleston in 2026. A higher education leader with more than two decades of faculty and administrative experience, Dr. Kissau has built a distinguished career advancing graduate education, expanding research capacity, and fostering academic excellence. He is recognized for developing collaborative partnerships, strengthening research infrastructure, and creating innovative programs that enhance faculty success and graduate student achievement.
Prior to joining the College of Charleston, Dr. Kissau served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education in the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In that role, he provided strategic leadership for more than 35 graduate programs, including the university's largest graduate certificate program and two of its three largest doctoral programs. He worked closely with faculty, department chairs, and university leaders to strengthen graduate education while expanding the college's research enterprise.
During his tenure as associate dean, external research funding in the college more than doubled, increasing from $6.7 million in FY19 to nearly $13.8 million in FY24. He established a comprehensive research support infrastructure that included faculty mentoring initiatives, grant-writing programs, and the annual Cato College of Education Research Symposium. Dr. Kissau also led initiatives to strengthen graduate recruitment, enrollment, and student success, including the development of an innovative online teacher residency model that expanded access to graduate education.
An accomplished scholar, Dr. Kissau has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and secured more than $10 million in external funding as principal investigator or co-principal investigator. His scholarship reflects a sustained commitment to advancing educational research while supporting faculty excellence and student success.
Education
Ph.D., Education, University of Windsor, 2005
M.Ed., Educational Administration, University of Windsor, 2001
B.Ed., French as a Second Language, University of Windsor, 1995
B.A., French and German Translation, Queen's University, 1994
Career Highlights
2026–Present — Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost for Research, College of Charleston
2020–2026 — Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, UNC Charlotte
2019–2020 — Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs, UNC Charlotte
2014–2019 — Chair, Department of Middle, Secondary and K–12 Education, UNC Charlotte
2006–2014 — Director, Foreign Language Teacher Education, UNC Charlotte
Honors & Awards
2024 — Faculty Engagement Award, J. Murrey Atkins Library
2016 — ACTFL–NYSAFLT Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education
2015 — North Carolina Foreign Language Teacher of the Year (Higher Education)
2012 — Cato College of Education Award for Excellence in Research
2011 — Cato College of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching