Audrey Horning to serve as next Arts & Sciences Vice Dean for Research & Graduate Studies
Suzanne Raitt, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, announced Friday that Audrey Horning ’89 will serve as the next Arts & Sciences Vice Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, one of four vice dean positions in Arts & Sciences. While the other three vice dean positions are discipline-specific, this role oversees all graduate programs and research activity across A&S.
“We are thrilled to welcome Audrey to the team,” Raitt shared. “It is a time of tremendous opportunity for A&S, and we are confident Audrey’s extensive leadership experience and visionary approach will make her an extraordinary asset to the team. Her leadership will be crucial to ensuring our graduate programs and research communities continue to thrive.”
Horning, the Forrest D. Murden Professor of Anthropology, has served as chair of the Anthropology Department since July 2023 and has been a Professor of Anthropology at William & Mary since 2016. From 2011-2016, she was Professor of Archaeology (now honorary) at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, where she served for two years as Head of the School of Geography, Archaeology and Paleoecology. Horning holds a Ph.D. in Historical Archaeology, M.A. in American Civilization from the University of Pennsylvania, and B.A. in Anthropology and History from William & Mary.
Horning shared, “I am excited to take on this role and look forward to working with colleagues across A&S to build on the successes of our graduate programs, increase support for our students, and enhance and celebrate the remarkable range and international quality of faculty and student research.”
An internationally respected scholar, Horning’s research explores comparative colonialism, the relationship between archaeology and identity, and community-inclusive methodologies for conflict transformation. Her extensive fieldwork includes leading excavations at Jamestown, Virginia; 17th-century Plantation-period settlements in Northern Ireland; the Slievemore Deserted Village in Ireland; and rural mountain settlements in Virginia's Blue Ridge. A prolific author, Horning has published widely on topics such as the future of archaeology, ethics in public engagement, Native American perspectives on colonial histories, and the anthropology of colonial life. As a fellow at Queen’s University Belfast in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, her interdisciplinary work continues to influence global conversations on archaeology and identity.
Horning has received numerous accolades for academic leadership, including the 2024 Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence, election as President-elect (2023-2025) and President (2026-2028) of the Society for Historical Archaeology, and recognition as the 2020 W&M Arts and Sciences Graduate Mentor of the Year. She has also been honored internationally, serving as the 2022 Dorothy Garrod Lecturer at the McDonald Institute for Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and as a 2024 International Fellow for Concordances at Linnaeus University in Sweden.
Raitt extended her appreciation to the search committee, chaired by Peter McHenry, as well as to the exceptional pool of internal candidates. “This was a challenging decision,” she noted. “We are fortunate to have so many talented, forward-thinking leaders within our community.”
Horning’s appointment coincides with the transition of Chris Carone, Professor of Physics, who has served as Vice Dean for Research & Graduate Studies. Carone will transition with the department of Physics to the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (CDSP) in 2025.
"I am so grateful to Chris for his outstanding service in this role," said Raitt. "His leadership of and dedication to our graduate students and staff, his commitment to research, and his wise advice have made an enormous difference. We look forward to remaining closely connected with Chris, as we will with all faculty in CDSP."
Horning will assume the position beginning January 1, 2025.
