Our Mission Continues With Familiar Faces
January 21, 2025
Welcome back! I hope your break was both enjoyable and restful, and that your semester is off to a strong start.
For those who may not know me, I’ve been part of the college in the Department of Chemistry for 36 years and have served as Associate Dean for Faculty for the past four and a half years. It’s an honor to now work with all of you as Acting Dean.
I’d like to take this opportunity to address some likely questions:
Why Acting Dean?
Mark Button has been appointed Interim Executive Vice Chancellor through the summer of 2026. At the conclusion of that appointment, he may choose to return as Dean.
What about the duties as Associate Dean for Faculty (ADF)?
We are deeply grateful to Dr. Marco Abel, Willa Cather Professor of English and Film Studies, for stepping in as Acting ADF on very short notice. A search for a permanent ADF will be announced in the coming weeks.
What’s happening with research and graduate education?
Will Thomas, our former Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education (ADRGE), has taken on a new role as Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences at Montana State University. We thank him for his leadership and wish him every success.
A search committee, chaired by Margaret Jacobs (Charles Mach Professor of History and Director of the Center for Great Plains Studies), has identified several excellent candidates for the ADRGE position. Interviews will take place in the coming weeks, and we anticipate having someone in the role by July 1st. In the meantime, approvals and routing are being handled by our office. Please direct any questions or concerns to me at pdussault1@unl.edu or Sarah Smith at ssmith135@unl.edu.
What hasn’t changed?
We are fortunate to have a stellar team in the college’s Dean Office. This includes:
- June Griffin, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Strategic Initiatives
- Alecia Kimbrough, Senior Assistant Dean for Business and Finance, Chief Operating Officer
- Lory Dance, Associate Professor, Coordinator for Faculty Community and Belonging
- The entire Dean’s Office (DO) staff including DO assistants, student services, marketing/communication, recruiting, tech, and business office and centers (BPAC, OBC, and PBC).
It is a privilege to work alongside these colleagues, many of whom have taken on additional responsibilities during this transitional period.
Our College’s Strengths
We continue to excel in research achievements, securing funding, and generating student credit hours. Our faculty and staff have consistently earned recognition for their contributions to research, teaching, and service.
We are committed to maintaining strong faculty governance and transparency. Last year, we updated our Bylaws, and both the College Executive Committee and the IDEA Committee continue to review policies and procedures. Faculty involvement remains central to our governance through an active committee structure. If you’re not already involved, I encourage you to explore opportunities with our CAS committees.
We are in the fourth year of our five-year strategic plan and will continue to use it to guide our efforts over the next 18 months.
Should you have any questions, please email casdeansoffice@unl.edu. I look forward to connecting with each of you and wish you all a productive and rewarding semester!
