Kennesaw State University officials named Ivan Pulinkala as the new dean for the university’s College of the Arts last week and announced three finalist candidates on Monday, March 11, for the vacant dean position of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
KSU President Dr. Pamela Whitten along with Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kathy Schwaig named Pulinkala as the new dean on Wednesday, March 6, following presentations by finalists for the position in February.
“We are delighted to welcome Ivan as the new dean in the College of Arts at KSU,” Schwaig said. “He truly loves this University, and I know he will bring his deep experience and his focused passion to the role.”
Pulinkala presented on the Kennesaw campus along with three other finalist candidates for the position — Dr. Earnest Lamb, dean of the College of the Arts at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Dr. Steven Peters, dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Montevallo and Dr. Ayden Adler, professor of music and history at DePauw University.
Pulinkala has served as the interim dean of the college since its former dean left the position in July 2018.
After he founded KSU’s department of dance in 2005, Pulinkala served as the chair of the department, turning it into the largest collegiate dance program in the state. He also serves as the artistic director for KSU’s dance company, according to KSU’s website.
Pulinkala has received several awards during his time with KSU, including the KSU Foundation Award for his creative scholarship and the KSU Clendenin Graduate Fellowship for his doctoral studies.
Pulinkala earned his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Mills College in California.
Just five days after Whitten and Schwaig named Pulinkala as the new dean for the College of the Arts, Cindy Reed, the dean of the Bagwell College of Education and the chair of the CHSS dean search committee, announced that three finalist candidates for the CHSS dean position were chosen by the committee.
Dr. Daniel J. Ennis, dean of the Humanities and Fine Arts and vice president for academic outreach at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, will give his presentation first on Wednesday, March 12, in the university rooms in the student center. Following him, Dr. Shawn Long, the senior associate dean for academic budget and personnel in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina, will present on March 14, and Dr. Sarah Robbins, a Lorraine Sherley professor of literature at Texas Christian University, will present on March 15.
For those who cannot make it to the presentations on campus, they will also be streamed live on livestream.kennesaw.edu.
