Cameron Bennett

Cameron Bennett has had an active and varied career as an administrator, educator, and performing artist, having served in a diversified range of academic and professional institutions. He brings more than two decades of administrative leadership and expertise in strategic planning, academic program and curriculum development, budget management, faculty and student affairs, community engagement, and fundraising. He currently serves as Dean of the College of Professional Studies at Pacific Lutheran University, in addition to holding the academic rank of Professor of Music. He has also served as Dean of the School of Arts and Communication, Chief Innovation Officer, Associate Provost for Strategic Academic Initiatives and Acting Provost at PLU.  He previously served at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was Chair and Professor of one of the most respected liberal arts music programs in the nation. Dr. Bennett has also held numerous professional administrative positions throughout his career, including: Executive Director of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, Ohio; Executive Director of the Marble Cliff Chamber Players; and Executive Director of the MidAmerica Chamber Music Institute.

As a performing artist, Cameron has performed as piano soloist and collaborative chamber musician throughout the United States, Canada, Russia, and the Far East. He is in great demand as a collaborative musician and appears regularly with the Snake River Chamber Players in Colorado. He served for many seasons as artist performer and coach at the Victoria International Festival in Canada, and as staff accompanist at The Juilliard School. Dr. Bennett has taught previously at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and has given master classes at the Beijing Central Conservatory, Shanghai Conservatory, and the Chinese Cultural University in Taipei, Taiwan. His performances have been featured on WOSU-FM in Columbus, Ohio and in Taipei, on the Taiwan Television Network.

Dr. Bennett received both his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. He also holds degrees from the University of Western Ontario and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. He has attended the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, as well as senior leadership workshops through ACE, CASE, NASM, and GLCA. He holds the Professional College Teacher Certification Diploma from the Music Teachers National Association and is a member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. He has been honored with the Excellence in Education Award from Ohio Magazine.  Dr. Bennett served multiple terms as Commissioner on the Washington State Arts Commission, on the Grants Committee of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, and as Commissioner on the Upper Arlington Cultural Arts Commission. He has served on the executive boards of the Music Teachers National Association, Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra, and on grants through the New American Colleges and Universities and The Five Colleges of Ohio.