Valeda F. Dent

Valeda F. Dent serves as Emory University’s inaugural vice provost of libraries and museum, a position she began in July 2022 that unites Emory Libraries and the Michael C. Carlos Museum under a new leadership structure.

She works closely with the Office of the Provost to provide support in planning for the future of both areas, including advancing shared discovery and conservation of the university’s extraordinary collections while continuing to expand access, programming and community engagement.

In her role at Emory, Dent helps shape the libraries’ and museum’s support of the student flourishing and AI.Humanity initiatives. “Aligning teaching, learning and research opportunities with the mission of Emory University,” Dent remarks, “can help build a community of caring, well-informed and civically engaged students, and the museum and libraries can play a pivotal role.” 

Dent came to Emory from Hunter College of the City University of New York in New York City, where she served as acting provost and vice president for academic affairs as well as vice president for student success and learning innovation. 

At Hunter College, Dent was co-chair of the Presidential Task Force for the Advancement of Racial Equity. Important to her work at Emory, Dent believes strongly in the role of the library and museum in civic outreach and has a deep understanding of libraries and museums as centers of community empowerment and civic responsibility. Dent is an active scholar who travels, conducts and publishes high-impact research, and presents globally. She has a robust and consistent record of scholarly achievement in the areas of chronic poverty and literacy, rural African libraries, and literacy culture development and is a Fulbright Scholar. 

Prior to her appointments at Hunter College, Dent served as dean and university librarian at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, and dean and chief operating officer for the libraries at Long Island University. 

She holds a PhD in information science from Long Island University, an MSW and an MILS from the University of Michigan, and a BA in film studies from Hunter College.