May 5, 1997

Dedman dean search may conclude with commencement

By Christian Bohmfalk

fter almost nine months of meetings, application reviews and interviews, the Dedman Dean Search Committee hopes to name a new dean by commencement.

Meadows Dean Carole Brandt, chair of the Dedman Dean Search Committee, said she is "very optimistic" that the committee will recommend a qualified candidate to Provost Ross C Murfin by Friday.

Brandt said the months of work should "pay off well for the university and for Dedman College."

The most recent candidate, Keith Thomson, will be on campus Monday and Tuesday to meet with students, faculty and staff. After his visit, a final candidate will visit Wednesday and Thursday, leaving the committee with four applicants to choose among for the position.

Thomson is the University Distinguished Scientist-in-Residence at the New School for Social Research in Philadelphia. He received his doctorate in biology from Harvard University and has served as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Yale University.

Five potential deans have previously visited campus this semester, and two remain active candidates for the position. Charles Johnson, the second candidate to visit SMU this spring, remains in contention, along with Jasper Neel, who visited campus last week.

Johnson is the head of the political science department at Texas A&M University and has lived in Texas for the last 18 years. He met with students in February and talked about helping form a sense of academic community on the SMU campus.

"I want to do anything that contributes to SMU as a leading national university," Johnson said. "You can't do that without a strong arts and sciences program and a gifted faculty."

Neel is the chair of the English department and an English professor at Vanderbilt University. He earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi College, his doctorate from the University of Tennessee and served in the U.S. Army for two years.

Neel met with students Tuesday and voiced the need for SMU to expand its enrollment base and become more diverse.

"SMU needs to have a broader reach," Neel said. "It needs to be national."

The committee is searching for a dean to replace James F. Jones, Jr., who left SMU in August to become the 16th president of Kalamazoo College in Michigan. Psychology professor Mike Best served as interim dean until his death in September, and U. Narayan Bhat currently serves as interim Dedman dean.

The search committee interviewed three candidates earlier this semester who later withdrew from contention. Dagmar Cronn, Randy Moore and James Thorp III visited SMU but are no longer being considered for the position.

Cronn has accepted a position as vice president for academic affairs and provost at another institution.

Larry Ruben, associate professor of biological sciences, said Brandt has done an excellent job as chair of the committee.

"Dean Brandt has done an amazing job organizing things," Ruben said. "She is working very hard to help Dedman College."

He added that the interview process is a critical factor in determining if a candidate meets the requirements and expectations of a Dedman dean and that the committee's review of candidates occurs after all campus visits are complete.

"Any analysis won't take place until all the candidates have been on campus," Ruben said.

As the end of the semester draws near, Murfin said the search for a Dedman dean is also coming to an end.

"I'm optimistic that we will identify a permanent dean from that group," Murfin said.

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