Four current deans at the University will return to the faculty come July 1, and two current deans will take on additional responsibilities.
Mary Richards of the College of Arts and Science is stepping down from the deanship to return to the faculty. "Because this year will bring the accomplishments of the goals that motivated my agreeing to a second term as dean, it seemed a good time for me to proceed to the next phase of my academic career and for the college to prepare for new leadership," she said in the letter to her colleagues.
Margaret L. Andersen, vice provost for academic affairs since 1990, will serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Science, beginning July 1, until a new dean can be hired in a national search.
In addition, three deans of recently consolidated colleges on campus also are returning to the faculty: D. Allan Waterfield (Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation), Dene G. Klinzing (Human Resources) and Interim Dean Roberta G. Golinkoff (Education).
Selected to head the new merging colleges are Betty J. Paulanka, dean of the College of Nursing, who will become dean of the new College of Health and Nursing Sciences, and Daniel Rich, dean of the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, who will serve as dean of the new College of Human Resources, Education and Public Policy.
The College of Health and Nursing Sciences will combine the College of Physical Education, Athletics and Recreation with the College of Nursing and will include the departments of Medical Technology; Nutrition and Dietetics; and Health and Exercise Science; and the Biomechanics and Movement Science Program.
The College of Human Resources, Education and Public Policy will merge the College of Education, the College of Human Resources and the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, including the departments of Individual and Family Studies; Textiles, Design and Consumer Economics; Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management; Educational Development; Educational Studies; and the College of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. The college also has more than a dozen major public service and research centers with programs at the local, state, national and international levels.
In announcing the deans of the new combined colleges, Provost Mel Schiavelli said, "I am looking forward to an exciting and invigorating period for the University, particularly for the faculty and staff in these new, consolidated colleges. This reorganization will allow us to maximize the many strengths in these units and will promote new links and connections among faculty who previously have been in different colleges.
"Dr. Betty Paulanka and Dr. Daniel Rich bring excellent credentials to the tasks before them, and I have every confidence that they can shape these merging units into unified colleges," he said.
Paulanka came to Delaware in 1977 and has been dean of the college since 1992. Long interested in the use of technology in nursing education, she implemented the University's innovative and successful distance education nursing major, which allows nurses to complete courses at their places of work.
Rich joined the University in 1970 and has served as dean since 1991. He is a senior research associate in the University's Center for Energy and Environmental Policy. A recipient of a UD
excellence-in-teaching award, Rich has been involved in public service work with several local and state agencies and nonprofit institutions.
With the July 1 reorganization, the University will have seven colleges instead of the current 10. The other colleges are Agricultural Sciences, Arts and Science, Business and Economics, Engineering and Marine Studies.