The UCF College of Arts and Humanities will welcome new and returning academic leaders this fall as several departments and schools begin the 2026-27 academic year with leadership appointments.
Yamile Silva joins UCF as professor of Spanish and chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Professor of Art History Keri Watson assumes the directorship of the School of Visual Arts and Design, and James Campbell begins a second five-year term as chair of the Department of English.
Silva joins UCF from the University of Scranton, where she built an international reputation as a scholar of Hispanic literatures and cultures. Her research spans Spanish American and Caribbean literature, colonial and early modern studies, and gender and sexuality studies. She also serves as editor-in-chief of REGS/Journal of Gender and Sexuality Studies and recently was elected to the executive council of the Latin American Studies Association.
Watson, who has served as assistant director of the School of Visual Arts and Design and led the Florida Prison Education Project, will guide the school’s next chapter. Her experience in academic leadership and interdisciplinary scholarship will support the school’s continued growth across visual arts, art history, and design.
Campbell’s reappointment follows a comprehensive review process that included faculty feedback and committee evaluation. During his first term, the Department of English expanded academic programs, supported faculty and student success, and navigated significant institutional and disciplinary change.
The college thanks Geri Smith and Rudy McDaniel for their service to the Department of Modern Languages and the School of Visual Arts and Design, respectively. They will each return to their departments after a period of post-administrative professional development leave.