The new year has brought a number of administrative changes to the office of the dean in the College of Arts and Sciences.
On Jan. 1, Professor Harry Y. “Hap” McSween began serving as interim dean of the college. Provost Susan Martin appointed McSween to this position following Bruce Bursten’s resignation from the deanship at the end of December 2010 to return to the faculty in the Department of Chemistry. A search for a permanent dean is underway.
McSween, a UT Knoxville faculty member for more than 33 years, is currently a Distinguished Professor of Science and a Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, as well as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. No stranger to administration, McSween served as head of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences for a total of 12 years, as associate dean for research in the College of Arts and Sciences for two years, and most recently as interim dean in 2003 and 2004, immediately preceding Bursten’s appointment.
Also leaving the college after a long and distinguished career is Don R. Cox, Professor of English, who retired at the end of December 2010. Professor Cox served as executive associate dean (2007-2010) and associate dean for academic programs (2001-2010).
Professor John Zomchick of the Department of English has been appointed executive associate dean of the college. Zomchick joined the college in July 2007 as associate dean for academic personnel. He will continue to hold this position while serving as executive associate dean.
Professor Robert J. Hinde of the Department of Chemistry has been appointed associate dean for Academic Programs. The appointment was made on the recommendation of the Search Committee for this position, chaired by Professor John Scheb, the head of the Department of Political Science. Hinde has also been part of the college team since 2007, having served as part-time associate dean for teaching and diversity.
Professor Christine Boake of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology was appointed associate dean for research, graduate studies and facilities in July 2010 and continues to serve in this position.