FDU Appoints Jonathan Mercantini Dean of the Maxwell Becton College of Liberal Arts and Education
April 23, 2026 — Following the completion of a national search, Fairleigh Dickinson University has announced the appointment of Jonathan Mercantini as dean of the Maxwell Becton College of Liberal Arts and Education, effective July 1, 2026.
Jonathan Mercantini
“An accomplished scholar, Jonathan Mercantini has focused a great deal on fostering retention and degree completion, issues at the top of our agenda at Fairleigh Dickinson University,” said University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Benjamin Rifkin. “He brings to the position an outstanding range of skills and experiences and I know he will make important contributions to the University.”
“I am excited to join the Maxwell Becton College of Liberal Arts and Education this summer and to lead its dedicated faculty, committed staff, and engaged students,” Mercantini said. “Becton’s programs provide the crucial foundation for personal and professional success and it is an honor to join the Becton College faculty and staff in preparing our students to thrive in our rapidly changing world.”
A history professor, Mercantini comes to FDU from Kean University where he joined the faculty nearly 20 years ago and subsequently served in important leadership roles including department chair, acting dean of Kean’s College of Liberal Arts and acting associate provost at the university. Among his accomplishments include establishing a summer research fellowship program for faculty, increasing philanthropic support of the College of Liberal Arts, increasing enrollment in the College of Liberal Arts, leading projects to enhance retention and degree completion, supporting Kean’s international collaborations, leading the creation of many new career-oriented interdisciplinary minors, improving the process to assess prior learning for returning students and fostering greater participation in community-engaged learning.
An expert in U.S. history with a focus on the 18th century, Mercantini is the author of two books, one on taxation and the American revolution and the other on the evolution of South Carolina’s political culture in the 18th century, as well as many articles published in scholarly journals and chapters in edited volumes. He is currently researching slavery and manumission in New Jersey with a focus on the life experience of William Livingston, who served as governor of New Jersey during the American revolution and who was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention as well as a signatory to the constitution.
Mercantini also serves on the New Jersey Historical Commission, to which he was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy, as well as on the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and has won numerous grants to support historical research projects, many of which have focused on New Jersey. He earned his bachelor of arts in history at the University of Richmond and his master’s and doctoral degrees, also in history, at Emory University.