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NEWS
| April 24
Honors College
Dean hopefuls to answer questions
Dean Carolyn Barros says she will
work this summer to help with adjustments.
By Amber
Tafoya
Contributor to The Shorthorn
Honors College Dean Carolyn Barros has
announced her retirement, leaving the third open dean position on
campus this year.
The dean search committee, already formed, hopes to make a recommendation
to the provost on up to three candidates within 10 days, according
to its chair.
Students and faculty will question the three top candidates, all
internal applicants, for the position Friday afternoon after each
candidate makes a presentation.
The candidates are David Silva, Linguistics program director and
an associate professor; Robert McMahon, Science associate dean and
biology professor; and Victoria Farrar-Myers, political science
associate professor.
Dean search committee Chair Peggy Swanson said she hopes meeting
with the candidates will bring a new light to the search through
student input. This is when the committee will gain new information
because its members are already familiar with each candidate’s
goals and strengths from earlier meetings.
“We are going to keep our mouths shut,” Dr. Swanson said.
“I’m hoping there is going to be a large student turnout.”
Presentations will begin at 12:30 p.m. at 101 College Hall and are
open to all students and faculty. Each candidate will have 30 minutes
to present and 20 minutes for a question-and-answer session.
Swanson said candidates must be tenured associate professors or
tenured full professors here, and the committee hopes to make its
recommendation to Provost George Wright within 10 days.
The new dean will replace Dr. Barros, who is retiring but said she
will work in the summer to help the new dean adjust. Barros was
a Liberal Arts associate dean for 13 years before becoming Honors
College director in 1995. She became dean in 1999.
Kaushik De, Honors College associate dean, said that while the dean
position is administrative, it also comes with the responsibility
to mentor students.
The dean of the Honors College should be dedicated both to learning
through scholarly research and leading through teaching students,
Barros said.
Dr. Silva earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in linguistics
at Cornell University in 1992. He has been nominated twice for Outstanding
Academic Adviser and won the Gertrude Golladay Award for Outstanding
Teaching here in 1995.
Dr. McMahon earned his doctorate at Syracuse University in 1972.
According to his Web site, his research interests focus on the physiological
ecology and population bioenergetics of freshwater and marine invertebrates.
He also serves on the Graduate Recruiting Advisory Board.
Dr. Farrar-Myers earned her doctorate at the University at Albany
in 1997. She was a national finalist for a White House fellowship
in 2002, was selected as a Congressional Fellow in 1997 and worked
in the House of Representatives from 1997 to 1998.
The Honors College is unique because it does not have its own staff.
That means the dean spends less time meeting with department chairs
and more time advising students, De said.
“Honors College deans are always available, and the doors are
always open,” he said.
The college provides a living-learning community for students who
want to be challenged, De said.
“It is the heart of the academic community and excellence,”
De added.
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