Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

September 26, 2003

Engelbrecht leads LAS dean search

by Annette Hacker, News Service
A 23-member committee headed by Design dean Mark Engelbrecht has begun the search for the next College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) dean.

The successful candidate will succeed Peter Rabideau, who in July accepted the position of provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi State University. Michael Whiteford, a faculty member, department chair and administrator at Iowa State since 1972, was named interim LAS dean on Sept. 1.

The search committee will begin review of applications in December. Finalist candidates likely will visit campus during spring semester 2004. The new dean is expected to be in place by July 1, 2004.

The committee includes representatives from the LAS college's three divisions, including several distinguished professors and directors, as well as staff and students.

Joining Engelbrecht on the search committee are:
Hector Avalos, associate professor of philosophy and religious studies and director of U.S. Latino/a studies; Sharon Bird, assistant professor of sociology; J. Herman Blake, professor of sociology and director of African American studies; Michael Bugeja, professor and director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication; Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center; Carolyn Cutrona, professor of psychology and director of the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research; Walter Fehr, a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture, professor of agronomy and director of the Office of Biotechnology; David Frankel, associate professor of economics; Kathleen Hickok, professor of English; and Neal Iverson, associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences.

Also Jane Jacobson, director of LAS Student Academic Services; James McGlew, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures; William Meeker, Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of statistics; Kristen Meyer, graduate student in mathematics; Patricia Moline, senior director of development -- gift planning and leadership gifts for the ISU Foundation; Peter Reilly, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, and professor of chemical engineering; Sunder Sethuraman, associate professor of mathematics; Patricia Thiel, Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of chemistry; Denise Williams, undergraduate student in psychology; Eve Wurtele, professor of genetics, development and cell biology; and Susan Carlson, associate provost.