Contact the Dean
Office of the Dean
Heidi Wayment
Interim Dean, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Heidi earned her PhD in social psychology at UCLA (1992) and is a professor of psychological sciences at Northern Arizona University. A successful teacher and scholar, she’s published over 80 research articles in top journals in the areas of social psychology, health psychology, and health promotion. In the past 15 years, Heidi is best known for her basic and applied research on the “quiet ego”; a non-defensive self-identity. Heidi is a named fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and the Association of Psychological Science. Heidi’s research interests include self-evaluation processes; psychosocial predictors of reactions to stress; and predictors of health attitudes and behavior.
Heidi successfully led as chair of the Department of Psychological Sciences for three terms. She served as associate dean for SBS from 2016-2018. Heidi was also the inaugural director and one of the lead designers of the Interdisciplinary Health PhD program. Heidi’s experience encompasses many aspects of the dean’s office and extensive knowledge of units across the college.
Heidi’s leadership in the Department of Psychological Sciences supports a high level of undergraduate student participation in research, with a recent focus on increasing opportunities for first-generation and underrepresented minority students. She has a long record of leadership supporting faculty careers, especially among women and others underrepresented in sciences. Heidi serves as a co-investigator and lead for the Investigator Development Core of the Southwest Health Equity Collaborative (SHERC), which provides mentoring and other support for early career faculty. She was also a co-recipient of the Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement and Contribution Award that was awarded to the NSF Advance Institutional Transformation proposal team (2016). Heidi provides strong, positive leadership for SBS as the search for the next dean extends into the fall term.
Lynn Jones
Associate Dean for Personnel and Graduate Programs
Lynn serves as the associate dean for Personnel and Graduate Programs in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) and is a professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She previously served her home department as associate chair, interim chair, and graduate coordinator for the department’s Master of Science in Applied Criminology program.
Throughout her career, Lynn has advocated for inclusive and equitable processes and policies that support students and faculty; such as through her leadership chairing the SBS Promotion & Tenure committee, co-chairing the University Hearing Board, and advising on the university’s Campus Climate Survey.
Lynn received her master’s and doctoral degrees in Sociology at the University of Arizona, where she studied the dynamics of law and policy in justice professions; including emotion management in victim services and cause lawyering among social movements. Her continued research interests emphasize gender, difference, and justice; with a particular interest in how justice professionals and activists advocate for legal and social change. Examples of her work include the textbook Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice; and research publications in the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, Journal of Criminal Justice Education, Violence and Victims, and Theoretical Criminology. Her collaborative, community-based work was funded by the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and the Center for Victim Research. Lynn enjoys supporting faculty and facilitating their research opportunities in her associate dean role.
T. Mark Montoya
Associate Dean for Curriculum and Student Affairs
T. Mark is the associate dean for curriculum and student affairs and associate professor of Ethnic Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. This year, he will serve as a provost’s leadership fellow (2022-23). He also served as a past director of Ethnic Studies. A first-generation college student, T. Mark attended New Mexico State University (NMSU), where he received a bachelor of arts in history and a master of arts in government. He moved to Arizona to complete his PhD in political science at NAU; which he earned with distinction in 2009.
T. Mark’s interests center broadly on the US-Mexico borderlands, borderlands pedagogy, citizenship, ethnic studies, Latinx studies, DACA, hip hop, and first-generation student experiences. At NAU, T. Mark is most involved with the first-generation learning community, the Teaching Academy, and the Commission on Ethnic Diversity. He also serves as president of the Association for Borderlands Studies; chair of the Northern Arizona Dream Fund; and is on the editorial board for the Journal of First-generation Student Success.
Mark has earned many awards for his teaching and support of students including the Dr. Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr., Outstanding Latina/o Faculty: Service/Teaching in Higher Education Award (2019); Commencement Speaker for SBS and University College (2016); SBS Teacher of the Year (2015); Outstanding Advocate Award for First-Generation College Students (2013); and the NAU President’s Award for Ethnic Diversity (2012). He is honored to be named a President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow (2022) and looks forward to advancing student success in his associate dean role.