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K-State Today

October 19, 2016

Provost names search committee for College of Arts & Sciences dean

Submitted by Craig Bourne

April Mason, provost and senior vice president, has appointed the search committee to lead the national search for the university's next dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Chairing this committee will be Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education. The anticipated start date of the new dean is July 1, 2017, if not before.

Search committee members are:

  • Debbie Mercer, chair, dean of College of Education
  • Christer Aakeroy, professor of chemistry 
  • Nora Bello, associate professor of statistics
  • John Blair, professor of biology 
  • Pat Bosco, vice president for student life 
  • Amy Button Renz, president and chief executive officer of the K-State Alumni Association 
  • Marcellus Caldas, associate professor and assistant provost in the Office of International Programs 
  • Kimathi Choma, assistant dean of diversity, recruitment and retention in the College of Arts & Sciences 
  • Greg Eiselein, professor of English and director of K-State First 
  • Ethan Erickson, assistant vice president for budget planning 
  • Matthew Gaynor, professor and department head of art 
  • Erika Geisbrecht, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics 
  • Wayne Goins, professor of music, theatre, and dance 
  • Tanya Gonzalez, associate professor of English 
  • Michael Herman, professor of biology and associate dean of the Graduate School 
  • Anne Jewell, undergraduate student in journalism and mass communications 
  • Pamela Kempton, professor and department head of geology 
  • Joy Knutson, accountant I in facilities 
  • Mary Rezac, professor of chemical engineering and associate vice president for research 
  • Lisa Vangsness, graduate student in psychological sciences 
  • Sheila Walker, senior director of development for College of Arts & Sciences, KSU Foundation

"I thank the search committee members for their willingness to undertake this very important search for our new College of Arts & Sciences dean," Mason said. "The dean will provide leadership to meet the challenges and opportunities posed by the changing environment in higher education while further advancing the college during the next phases of K-State 2025."