Simone Pilon

Simone Pilon is the executive director for Berklee Valencia, responsible for the vision, strategic direction, and day-to-day operations of all areas of the Valencia campus. She is charged with the development and execution of Berklee’s academic strategy on the Valencia campus, including new programs and partnerships, career development and student success efforts, and community outreach. Prior to assuming this role, Pilon served as dean of academic affairs at the Valencia campus, where she played a leading role in academic strategy, overseeing the graduate and undergraduate programs, academic records and services, library, and technology.

Pilon joined Berklee Valencia in 2020. She previously served as chair of Berklee’s Liberal Arts Department in Boston, serving students at both Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Prior to Berklee, Pilon worked as a professor of French and director of international studies at Franklin College in Indiana. As a faculty member, she taught French language and literature as well as interdisciplinary and study abroad courses. As director of international studies, she led campus internationalization efforts, including developing and nurturing partnerships and overseeing short-term and faculty-led study abroad programs.

Pilon co-edited the book Woodstock Then and Now: A 50th Anniversary Celebration (Clemson University Press) with Berklee faculty member Alex Ludwig. She also prepared a student edition of Louis Hémon's novel Maria Chapdelaine with Molière and Company. She has published articles and book reviews in international journals and has served as a technical reviewer for the series of CliffsNotes, Dummies, and Everything books. She has presented on topics relating to French language and literature, pedagogy, and internationalization at national and international conferences. Pilon has traveled, studied, and worked internationally, including as a Fulbright-Hays scholar to Morocco and Tunisia. She holds a PhD in Québécois literature from Université Laval and an MA in French literature from McGill University.