Brad Romans
By KURT KRUG
For the Times-Herald
DEARBORN — Brad Romans joined Henry Ford College in late January as the new dean of the School of Liberal Arts. Romans reports directly to HFC Vice President of Academic Affairs Michael Nealon.
Romans is energized about his new role at HFC.
“The student population here at HFC is very diverse, which resonated with me,” he said. “The faculty are impressive and accomplished. Our common goal is reaching our students and helping them achieve the next step in their lives.
“Many students who attend the college are first-generation college students. I can relate to that, being a first-generation college student myself.”
Romans has a vision for SOLA under his leadership.
“I love everything we have to offer in SOLA, whether it’s fine arts, literature, sociology, mass media, ceramics, theatre, psychology, the list goes on,” he said. “I want students to have access to their expert faculty in these subjects, and for SOLA to become the preeminent spot for students to build their futures and communities. The goal here is for them to be able to build better telescopes to see the directions in which they’re headed. To me, that’s a dream come true.”
“As Local 1650 president and a faculty member in SOLA, I welcome Dr. Romans to HFC,” said HFC political science instructor Eric Rader. “Our incredible faculty are ready to work with him to help our students succeed.”
The eldest of two sons, Romans was born in Southfield. He graduated from Pinckney High School. A two-time alumnus of Eastern Michigan University, Romans earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in literature. He subsequently earned his doctorate in English from the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, N.Y.
Additionally, Romans completed training as a New Leadership Academy Fellow through the University of Michigan National Forum for Public Good in Ann Arbor. He lives in Dexter with his family.
Romans spoke about what inspired him to pursue a career in higher education.
“As a student, I loved watching professors at the front of the classroom pouring out knowledge, wisdom, and information to me and other students,” he said. “I found it incredibly intoxicating.”
He has taught at EMU and Buffalo, as well as several other colleges, with subjects including English composition, creative writing, special topics courses in literature, mass culture and the media, and ethnography. He has presented at state and national conferences.
Since 2008, Romans has worked in higher education. He has been in college administration since 2015.
“Going into administration was the opportunity to more broadly impact policy to help students and make the path to graduation smoother for them,” he said.
Romans comes to HFC from Baker College, having served in a number of administrative leadership positions. He served as director of Academic Affairs at both the Jackson and Allen Park campuses. He was the online director at the Flint campus. His final role at Baker before coming to HFC was campus director for the Jackson and Allen Park campuses.
In these roles, Romans has led his teams at Baker through strategic and operational planning regarding academic and scholarly programming, support for and improvement of student success, community partnerships and outreach, service learning, student life, budget development, and cohort-based peer mentoring.
He co-authored Baker’s accreditation self-studies at both the campus and at the college level, including Higher Learning Commission reporting. As a result, he successfully secured grants of more than $2 million to support collaborative efforts regarding faculty and undergraduate research.
“A first-generation college student himself, Brad whole-heartedly embraces the goals and priorities aligned with HFC’s current Strategic Plan and its focus on student success,” Nealon said. “In his own words, Brad shares: ‘The central focus of my work is to collaborate with faculty on raising our shared level of discourse in ways that are clear, accessible, and that result in greater opportunity for students.’”
Interim Dean Robert Yahrmatter has returned to his prior position as associate dean of SOLA. HFC President Russell Kavalhuna expressed gratitude to Yahrmatter and previous Interim Dean Larry Smyrski, who provided a steady, guiding hand for SOLA since 2021. The college is also grateful to Pamela Stewart, who stepped up as Interim Associate Dean during the past year.