ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Beth Greene Costner has been named dean of Winthrop University’s Richard W. Riley College of Education following a national search. Costner has served as interim dean of the college since January.
Provost Adrienne McCormick shared that Costner is highly regarded by the students, faculty and staff of the Richard W. Riley College of Education. “Our education and exercise science programs are all leaders in the state,” McCormick noted. “Costner's extensive experience in management, assessment, accreditation, grant-writing, interdisciplinary collaboration and student success programming will position us well as we identify ways to continue strengthening our diverse programs in the college.”
Costner earned tenure and was promoted to professor in Winthrop’s Department of Mathematics where she also served as chair from 2008-13. In addition to her recent role as associate dean in education, Costner served as assistant and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences from 2010-15.
Costner started her career in education in 1992 as a middle grades mathematics teacher in the Clark County School District in Kentucky. She earned both a B.S. in mathematics education and M.S. in middle grades mathematics from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from The Ohio State University. Costner’s teaching and research has been focused on the content knowledge development of elementary and middle grades teachers.
While at Winthrop, Costner has secured more than $3 million in grants, including the Winthrop Initiative for STEM Education, which is a National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship project that supports the recruitment, retention and development of science and mathematics teachers.
In addition to efforts directed toward teacher development, Costner has led a number of initiatives related to student services, assessment and accreditation. In the area of accreditation, she served as the lead author on the most recent review of the educator preparation programs at Winthrop that resulted in reaccreditation in 2020 with no areas for improvement.
Costner lives in Rock Hill with her husband, who is also a Winthrop education faculty member. She grew up in rural Kentucky on a farm and credits the example of her parents for her dedication to education and hard work.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or longshawj@winthrop.edu.
