Dr. Jennifer Holmes is the Inaugural Dean of Sands College of Performing Arts at Pace
University, previously serving as the Executive Director for Pace Performing Arts. Prior to Pace, she was Dean of the College of Arts, Communications, and Design at both the Post and Brooklyn campuses at Long Island University (LIU). While at LIU, Holmes was named the inaugural Dean of two new schools, Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment and the George Polk School of Communications. Prior to her tenure at Long Island University, she worked at The New School where she was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at The School of Drama. Holmes directed the US premiere of Last Train to Tomorrow composed and conducted by Carl Davis at Alice Tully Hall and Shining Lights in the Lingering Night at The Great Hall, Cooper Union in partnership with 400 Years of Inequality. Dr. Holmes also initiated the Cultural Change Task Force, a cohort of faculty, students, and administrators dedicated to fostering inclusive, diverse and equitable theatre arts practice.

Dr. Holmes holds a Ph.D and an MA from New York University and a BA from Vassar College and is an internationally recognized leader in arts education. Her work as a performer and director has been seen in theatre, film, and television. She is the founder and director of Global Empowerment Theatre (GETheatre.org), an international non-profit theatre organization. She has devised theatre in India, Kenya, Myanmar, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the US.