Beronda L. Montgomery

Beronda L. Montgomery joined Grinnell College as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College in July of 2022.

Before coming to Grinnell, Montgomery was a MSU Foundation Professor (Depts. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology & Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) and administrator at Michigan State University for approximately 18 years. At MSU, she served as Assistant Provost for Faculty Development from 2016-2020 and as Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation from 2020-2022.

Her scholarly efforts focus on how photosynthetic organisms, plants and bacteria, adapt to changes in their external light environment. Her scholarship extends beyond biology and into studying mentorship and faculty development to develop evidence-based strategies to foster equity and inclusion across higher education.

Montgomery is also a writer (author of Lesson from Plants published in 2021 by Harvard University Press) and science communicator. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis (1994), a M.S. from the University of Central Arkansas (1996), and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis (2001).