Meet Interim Dean Steven Scherwatzky
Learn more about the Interim Dean of Merrimack’s School of Arts and Sciences.
Steven Scherwatzky Biography
Dr. Steven Scherwatzky is the interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Merrimack College, assuming the role in July 2022. He previously served for two years as associate dean. Dr. Scherwatzky is an advocate for broad-based learning, interdisciplinarity and diversity.
Prior to joining the School of Arts and Sciences senior leadership team, Dr. Scherwatzky chaired Merrimack’s Department of English for many years. During his time as chair, the department conducted a successful redesign of the first-year writing requirement and engaged in ongoing curriculum revision, including the addition of a creative writing concentration. He also hosted an annual English Career Night, where English alumni returned to campus to speak with current students.
Dr. Scherwatzky has been part of the Merrimack College community for more than 30 years, arriving in the fall of 1990 as an assistant professor of English. He specializes in 17th and 18th-century English literature and has taught a range of courses including “John Milton and the Culture of Revolution,” “Jane Austen and the Eighteenth-Century Novel” and “The Undead Eighteenth Century: The Origins of English Gothic Literature.” In all of his courses, Dr. Scherwatzky views literature as a reflection of lived experience, focusing on the ways in which the written word both reflects the world and helps shape our perception of it.
His research explores the accomplishments of Samuel Johnson, generally considered the preeminent writer of the English 18th century. Most recently, Dr. Scherwatzky’s essay “Samuel Johnson and Autobiography: Reflection, Ambivalence, and ‘Split Intentionality’” appeared in New Essays on Samuel Johnson (2018) and he contributed a chapter on Samuel Johnson and fiction to the Oxford Handbook of Samuel Johnson (2022). Dr. Scherwatzky is a member of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies and serves as corresponding secretary to The Johnsonians.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, as well as two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. from Rutgers University.
Interim Dean Steven Scherwatzky: At A Glance
Research Interests
- Samuel Johnson
- John Milton
- Relationship Between 17th- and 18th-century British literature and history
Education
- Ph.D., English, Rutgers University
- M.Phil., English, Rutgers University
- M.A., English, Rutgers University
- B.A., English and Philosophy, Boston College
Memberships
- American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
- Corresponding secretary to The Johnsonians
Honors
- Roddy Award for Excellence in Teaching, Merrimack College, 2005
