KSU recently named three new deans and a new faculty executive assistant to the president.
Kathy Schwaig, the new dean of the Coles College of Business, is also the associate dean of academic affairs and a professor of information systems. She got her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration from Baylor University and her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Schwaig said she has high hopes for the College, stating that the programs, faculty and staff are exceptional and that quality education is a high priority. Schwaig said she hopes that over time the values of the degrees and certificates will increase for the College’s alumni.
“We must do a better job of telling the story of the Coles College, our programs and our students,” she said. “A lot of my time will be spent in the business and alumni community doing just that.”
Schwaig said she also hopes to establish a student advisory board and a couple of new graduate programs: one for business of health care and one for non-business undergraduates.
Robert H. “Robin” Dorff has been appointed the new dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and is also a professor of political science. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Dorff said he hopes to help the College and KSU, “address the significant challenges and opportunities that come with the kind of dramatic growth we have experienced.”
Before he can do that, Dorff said, he would like to get to know on a more personal level all of the people involved with the College.
“Sometimes we are tempted to make changes before we understand how things currently work and why,” he said.
Mark Anderson is joining the KSU staff as the new dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Indiana University and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Anderson said his top priority is to create the best learning environment for students to succeed.
“We want to engage our students with the curriculum and have them be active participants in their learning through hands-on experiences,” he said. “We want students to understand the integrated nature of science and see how the disciplines that are part of the college are intertwined, and to find the best, most effective way of providing that experience.”
The College of Science and Mathematics will have two new Master of Science degree programs and a new laboratory science building in Fall 2012. Anderson said he hopes the opportunities from these additions will encourage students to become involved in scientific research and discovery.
Maureen McCarthy is the new faculty executive assistant to the president. She is also a professor of psychology. McCarthy earned her Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and has been teaching at KSU for seven years, according to a KSU news release.
“As faculty executive assistant to the president I will work with faculty on major campus-wide initiatives,” McCarthy said. “As a member of the faculty I will continue to teach an honors section of introductory psychology this fall. I will also work to represent the larger university and provide a faculty perspective on key initiatives.”
