MSU names Dr. Nicola F. Mason dean of College of Education
Morehead State University has announced the appointment of Dr. Nicola F. Mason (Class of 2007) as the new dean of the Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education. She will begin her new duties on July 1, 2025.
Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Mason began her higher education career in 2004 as an assistant music teacher at Stellenbosch University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She also served as band director at the Collegiate School for Girls in Port Elizabeth from 2007 to 2008.
With the tuba as her primary instrument, Mason said she was drawn to the MSU music program for its international reputation and the chance to study under world-renowned tuba performer and Professor of Music—Tuba/Euphonium Dr. Stacy Baker.
“I don’t think people realize the significant reach of MSU. Graduates of MSU can be found all over the world and many students come to MSU from different corners of the globe,” Mason said.
Her goal for attending MSU was to learn and gain as much teaching pedagogy to take back to her students in South Africa. But plans changed after meeting her husband and MSU Professor of Music and Percussion Coordinator Dr. Brian S. Mason. She returned to South Africa where she spent the year teaching before returning to Kentucky and marrying Brian.
After earning a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2012, Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) hired Mason as an assistant professor of education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in 2012. She was promoted to associate and later full professor and served as interim department chair from 2020 to 2021.
After a successful department merger, Mason served as chair of the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership (2021-2025) at EKU. During her tenure as chair, she implemented several innovative initiatives that led to a 20% enrollment growth across undergraduate and graduate programs while securing new faculty hires. She currently serves as assistant dean of EKU's College of Education & Applied Human Sciences.
Mason said she has always been called to leadership roles both as a student, teacher, and faculty member. Leading and serving the teaching profession as dean has been a longtime aspiration of hers.
"I work intentionally to continuously develop my leadership skills and invest in faculty and staff leadership development," she said. "The heart of everything that I do is people. When people feel valued, trusted, and heard, their potential is uncapped."
While Mason remains grateful for EKU's investment in her success and trust in her leadership, she feels strongly that the experiences she gained during her career have been in preparation for serving as dean of the Volgenau College of Education. She hopes to "inspire an academic legacy of excellence" while maintaining the college's reputation of sending well-prepared teachers and counselors in the service region and beyond.
"It's almost 20 years to the day that I set foot on Morehead State's campus for the very first time. There was no way I could have known back then the impact that Morehead State and this community would have on my professional career and personal life," she said. "I am dedicated to spending the next half of my career, the best half of my career, to serving the faculty, staff and students of the Volgenau College and giving back to the institution that I love so dearly."
To learn more about the Volgenau College of Education and its programs, call 606-783-2162.
