Margaret A. “Meg” Amstutz is dean of the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, where she oversees college operations as well as the campus-wide Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and the Foundation Fellowship, the university’s top academic scholarship.
Dr. Amstutz previously served as associate provost for academic programs and chief of staff in the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Georgia. She led university-wide initiatives of the Provost’s Office and worked closely with campus and external stakeholders.
In the Provost’s Office, Dr. Amstutz oversaw the Office of Academic Programs, the Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness, and the Provost’s Office staff, who reported through her to the provost. She coordinated the selection processes for major awards administered by the Provost’s Office; oversaw leadership programs for faculty, including the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program and the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program; and co-chaired the UGA Commencement Committee. From 2019-2023, she served as UGA’s accreditation liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, overseeing the university’s ongoing reaccreditation process and ensuring its compliance with accreditation requirements. She is a past president and current officer of UGA’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, was a member of the editorial board of the University of Georgia Press, and currently serves as an adviser to UGA’s chapter of Blue Key Honor Society.
From July 2017 to July 2018, Dr. Amstutz served as interim president of the College of Coastal Georgia, a state college in the University System of Georgia. Under her leadership, the college saw enrollment growth for three consecutive sessions and prepared to welcome its incoming president.
Dr. Amstutz’s work in the University of System of Georgia began in 1997 with 16 years of service in UGA’s Office of the President. Her initial 10 years as assistant to the president were followed by six years as chief of staff.
Dr. Amstutz holds the Jere W. Morehead Distinguished Professorship and has a courtesy appointment in the department of English. She received her bachelor’s degree in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and master’s and doctoral degrees in English and American literature from Washington University in St. Louis.
An alumna of Leadership Georgia and LEAD Athens, she has served on the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia’s regional advisory board and currently serves on the President’s Advisory Council for Centre College.