Staff Report
Provost Reed Dasenbrock named Brenda Claiborne as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences on Thursday.
Claiborne is a biology professor and director of the Institute for Aging Research at the University of Texas-San Antonio.
"She's well-suited to lead the College of Arts and Sciences because she's coming from an institution that has a student body that's very similar to ours," Dasenbrock said. "She was very well-received on campus. All the staff, faculty and administration all ranked her very highly."
Claiborne, who will be the first permanent female dean of the college, said she is looking forward to working with the faculty, staff and students she met while interviewing for the position.
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Claiborne said she wants to develop a vision for the college with help from faculty and see it through.
"There were so many different groups, and I look forward to working with all of them," she said. "I'm hoping to enhance the already excellent scholarship in the college."
The dean position has been vacant since Dasenbrock became the provost in 2005.
Vera Norwood has been the interim dean since then.
Dasenbrock said Claiborne's first challenge will be getting to know the college.
"It's a complex place. If it were a separate university, it would be the largest in the state," he said. "We all need to work together. I know it's a tough job."
Recruiting minority faculty and students is also a priority, Claiborne said.
"I'm looking forward to
enhancing diversity in the college," she said.
Claiborne said she will promote interdisciplinary programs and collaboration between departments and colleges.
"The future of scholarly and creative activities is in the areas where two disciplines coincide and overlap," she said. "That's where the most critical advances are going to be."
