Earnest Lamb, PhD

Earnest L. Lamb joined the college leadership team in June 2022.

Before joining Purchase, Dr. Lamb (he/him/his) served as the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). Before joining MSUM as Dean, he served as Chair of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts at Fayetteville State University and Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

In addition to his administrative duties, Provost Lamb continues his performing and scholarly activities. As a cellist, he is an active chamber musician and a former member of the Fayetteville, Memphis, and Arkansas Symphony orchestras. His interest in leadership in the arts has been shared at conferences, in print, and on various social media platforms. Additionally, Dean Lamb wrote and produced two programs for public radio: Blacks in Classical Music and From Spiritual to Symphony: A Portrait of Florence Smith Price. The latter has won numerous awards, including first-place honors in the portrait division from the prestigious Foundation for Women in Radio and Television.

Dr. Lamb holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Musicology from the University of North Texas, with a specialization in American music, a Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Cello Performance from the University of Memphis (formerly Memphis State University).​