Our Team
Deacs Do is a cross-University venture that incorporates several campus units, including the Office of the Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Business.
Experiential Learning Staff
Diana Polley
Director of Experiential Learning
Dr. Diana Polley works within the Office of the Dean of the College to advance, coordinate, and support experiential learning across Arts and Sciences. In this role, she partners with faculty, academic departments, and campus centers to enhance experiential learning frameworks, place-based pedagogy, and undergraduate reflection. She also holds an appointment as Research Professor of English.
Dr. Polley previously served as Director of the Martinson Honors Program and Associate Professor of English at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she integrated experiential learning into honors pathways, managed a $1M operating budget, and helped secure a $10M philanthropic gift. Her leadership background also includes serving as Chair of General Education, Coordinator of English, and Professor of English at Southern New Hampshire University, where she directed university-wide general education reform supported by a Davis Educational Foundation grant.
Dr. Polley earned her Ph.D. in English from the CUNY Graduate Center and her B.A. from Dartmouth College. She is the author of Echoes of Emerson: Rethinking Realism in Twain, James, Wharton, and Cather (University of Alabama Press), which received the Robert Penn Warren–Cleanth Brooks Award.
Connect with Dr. Polley regarding:
- Integrating experiential learning into courses and departmental offerings
- Enhancing existing experiential projects and place-based pedagogies
- Developing recursive student reflection frameworks and mentorship
- Mapping and connecting experiential learning initiatives across campus
Office of the Dean of the College & GSAS
School of Business
Shannon McKeen
Executive Director, Experiential Learning & Innovation; Professor of the Practice