Boone Hopkins
Boone J. Hopkins, Ph.D. was announced as the twelfth president of Converse on February 25, 2022 by the Converse University Board of Trustees. Dr. Hopkins has been a dedicated member of the Converse community since 2012.
Originally from Gainesville, Georgia, Dr. Hopkins is a proud Red Elephant from Gainesville High School. He experienced an innovative undergraduate liberal-arts education through a unique partnership between Brenau University, a historic women’s college, and Gainesville State College, a two-year state institution now known as the University of North Georgia. After completing a bachelor’s degree, Dr. Hopkins received his MFA in Directing and Acting Pedagogy from Virginia Commonwealth University followed by a Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the University of Kansas. Dr. Hopkins moved to Spartanburg in 2012 to join Converse as an Assistant Professor of Theatre. In addition to directing plays and musicals at Converse including Legally Blonde: the Musical, Twelfth Night, Cabaret, The Wolves, and Godspell, Dr. Hopkins has served in numerous leadership capacities including: Chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance, Dean of the School of the Arts, Senior Associate Provost for Student Success, Interim Provost, and Interim President.
Dr. Hopkins delights in helping those with whom he collaborates reach new heights and achieve excellence. In parallel with his leadership work for Converse, Dr. Hopkins brings his love of empowering others and impacting his community for good through his work in Spartanburg on the Board of the Chapman Cultural Center, as a member of the Ten at the Top Board to support economic development in the Upstate, and as a member of the Integrated Planning Advisory Group for the Spartanburg Academic Movement. Dr. Hopkins is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and serves as an assistant basketball coach for the Advent Episcopal first and second-grade teams.
President Hopkins is married to Dr. Chandra Owenby Hopkins, Dean of Converse College for Women, and they have two children: Owen and Jack.