There will be a Celebration of Life service for Dr. Dean at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13, on the third floor of Slayter Hall. Denison faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to attend to remember and honor Dr. Dean and his impact on our community.
Terrance Dean, Ph.D., assistant professor of Black Studies, died Aug. 11, 2022, at 53, following an illness. Terrance’s dedication, enthusiasm, talents, passion, and commitment made an indelible mark on the Denison community in just a few short years. Terrance was a gifted educator who built strong relationships with students. He exemplified Denison’s values by providing life-shaping education for our students while also making significant contributions to public conversations.
Terrance joined the Denison faculty in 2019. A graduate of Fisk University and later Vanderbilt University, where he received his Ph.D. in Religion and African American Diaspora Studies, Terrance was passionate about his research on topics including gender, sex, sexuality, Black religion and homiletics, rhetoric and communication, African diaspora, Black cultural studies, James Baldwin, and Afrofuturism. His scholarly contributions to Black studies are extensive. Terrance founded the William Payne Innovation Lab for Racial, Social, Political and Communal Sustainability. The Payne Innovation Lab works in partnership with the California State Parks and Smithsonian Museum. In addition, he published several books, and his articles have been published in magazines, including Newsweek, Essence, VIBE, and many others.
Terrance’s passion and commitment have had an impact on the Columbus community as well. He served on the editorial board for The Columbus Dispatch for more than two years and used his voice to bring awareness and visibility to marginalized groups of people, particularly people of color. In 2022, Terrance was named the first Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Scholar-in-Residence at the Columbus Museum of Art.
We will miss Terrance and his generosity in sharing his gifts with us.
Remembrances for Terrance:
- Denison professor, Dispatch editorial board member Terrance Dean - ex-MTV exec - dead at 53; Sheridan Hendrix, The Columbus Dispatch higher education reporter
- Late professor left his mark on Columbus; Amelia Robinson, The Columbus Dispatch opinion and community engagement editor
- He ‘knew no strangers.’ Terrance Dean demonstrated the power of connecting people; Toni King, director of the Center for Black Studies