Meet Christopher Boyer: Founding dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences
Christopher Boyer, founding dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, is a seasoned academic leader with a decade of administrative experience at large, public research universities dedicated to student access and service to their regions. He began his tenure at UNC Charlotte July 1. Previously, he served as dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Northern Arizona University.
Get to know Boyer through the questions below, asked by Jenn Conway ’01, director of communications for the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences.
What attracted you to UNC Charlotte specifically?
I am tremendously honored to be here because on a national level, UNC Charlotte is research-focused, access-oriented, comprehensive, urban and diverse, providing the greatest benefit to the communities of Charlotte, North Carolina, and beyond. As a new college, CHESS has the opportunity to move our research and teaching in directions that are incredibly exciting not only within individual disciplines, but by combining knowledge and applying it to the big questions of our time.
What three words do you believe best define your leadership style?
Transparent, honest and collaborative. I always attempt to be a clear and regular communicator with all of our collaborators. Doing this well as the leader of the largest college on campus can be challenging, so it’s something I continue to work on. I also believe in honest, clear and timely decision-making, and I make an effort to lead in a way that maximizes collaboration. It’s really important to remember that teaching, research and service are our bread and butter. I have a small role in this bigger picture, so collaboration isn’t just a value but absolutely necessary.
What’s the best piece of professional or personal advice you have received?
The best piece of professional advice I have received was from Susan Poser, the former provost of the University of Illinois Chicago and current president of Hofstra University. As I was getting ready to go off and become a dean, she said “They didn’t hire you because you’re good at email or because you can organize books on a shelf, they hired you because they think you have wisdom and your perspective has value. So you need to trust in yourself.” She said that at a time when I was nervous about this next step in my career. I think a lot of us have imposter syndrome to some extent, but I try to remember that I do have something to offer.
The best piece of personal advice I have received was from my father, who left us too soon. One of the last things he told me when I was a young man and didn’t really understand it at the time was to “make time your friend.” It’s important to me to both spend every day doing something meaningful but also to feel like the bigger picture is allowing me to do something meaningful. I really do feel like my purpose in life is to be here doing this work, so I have tried to live up to that advice and “make time my friend,” and it seems to be working for me.
You are headed to a deserted island. You can take a food, a drink, a book, a song and a movie. What are they and why?
For food I would take Tacos al pastor, Mexican street tacos. I lived in Mexico for about five years, and you can come close but they only truly exist in Mexico City. I do like a good IPA, but coconut water would probably be a better choice to bring to a deserted island. The book I keep reading again and again is “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. It’s a family saga and sometimes I read it in Spanish and sometimes in English, and the English translation is amazing. I never get tired of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” and after you eat your five-millionth street taco, you might need the reminder! We all know that “Twister” is the best movie of all time but not the one you want to see all the time. I think my choice would be “Star Wars,” I mean who doesn’t like lightsabers?
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time I enjoy hiking, and there is so much good hiking around here. I do like to listen to audiobooks and go to the theater, which my wife has also come to really appreciate. We have a dog, and I like dogs because they’re such optimistic creatures that think maybe tomorrow it will begin raining steaks, so for me they’re really helpful.