Profile

Madison Merrifield, known on campus as “Dean Mads,” serves in a dual role as the Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Residence Life at MHU. Her core values of authenticity, belonging, and curiosity drive her daily work as she advocates for students. She has spent time learning and presenting about trauma-informed practice and cultivating trust in teams; she also stays curious about how self-authorship and self-efficacy are critical components of student development.

Prior to arriving on The Hill, Dean Mads worked in residence life (plus a few other student affairs roles along the way) at the University of North Carolina – Asheville, the University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville, the University of Canterbury, and Georgia State University. She holds an M.S. in college student personnel from UT Knoxville (Go Vols!) and a B.S. in business studies / A.S. in baking & pastry arts from Johnson & Wales University (Go Wildcats!).

Dean Mads loves to bake, sing, drink good coffee, and listen to great music. She’s also passionate about supporting childhood cancer survivors and improving the NC foster care system. In her spare time, you might find Dean Mads at the local farmer’s market or nearby thrift store. If you see her around, you should definitely say hello—Dean Mads loves learning about the great people who make MHU amazing!