Daniel J. Ennis has been named dean of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts at Coastal Carolina University, effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Ennis, a professor of English, joined the CCU faculty in 1999. He has served as interim dean of the Edwards College, chair of the Department of English and co-director of the university's honors program. He has also served on numerous university governance committees and task forces in many capacities during his tenure at CCU.

Ennis' specialty as a scholar is British literature, and he has published extensively on various aspects of English literature and drama of the 18th and 19th centuries. He has authored or edited three books on British literature, the most recent of which is "Richard Brinsley Sheridan: The Impresario in Political and Cultural Context." Active in campus life, he has contributed to many CCU dramatic productions as a dramaturg and musician, and has served as a faculty adviser to student groups, including the Phi Eta Sigma English honor society and Tempo magazine. He was awarded a Fulbright-Hays fellowship in 2011 and earned a certificate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Management Development Program in 2012.

He earned a bachelor's degree in English from the College of Charleston, a master's degree in English from Appalachian State University and a Ph.D. in English from Auburn University.