Two candidates for dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University will visit campus for interviews and forums beginning Tuesday, April 6.

Dr. Thomas DiLorenzo, chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Delaware, and Dr. Robert Jones, head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, will each spend two days on campus.

“The search committee has done an impressive job of identifying and recruiting excellent candidates to bring to campus. These candidates have the ability to lead the Eberly College through the changes and opportunities facing higher education,” said Gene Cilento, chair of the committee and dean of the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. “This is an exciting time for West Virginia University, and we are pleased that one of these exceptional candidates will soon join our leadership team as the dean of WVU’s largest college.”

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Michele Wheatly complimented the search committee for its work and its diligence. “We gave the committee a difficult assignment and a short timetable,” Wheatly said, “and it has responded by meeting that timetable and finding outstanding candidates to lead this important part of the University.”

Dr. DiLorenzo will visit campus Tuesday and Wednesday, April 6-7, and Dr. Jones will be in Morgantown Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-15.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to meet the candidates. During these open sessions, the candidates will introduce themselves and audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Dr. Thomas DiLorenzo
DiLorenzo has been chair of the psychology department at the University of Delaware since 2002. Prior to that, he served as dean of Delaware’s College of Arts and Sciences from 1999 to 2001 and as chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 1990-1999.

He holds two degrees from WVU: a 1984 doctorate and 1982 masters in clinical psychology. He earned a bachelor of science in psychology and a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978, where he graduated cum laude.

In his chair roles at the University of Missouri-Columbia and currently at the University of Delaware, DiLorenzo has worked to significantly increase grant funding for faculty and graduate students. He also has experience in developing research and service learning oriented general education curricula.

During his tenure as dean, DiLorenzo took an active role in developing many interdisciplinary and collaborative centers, including the Center for International Studies, Center for American Material Culture, and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.

DiLorenzo has served as a consultant to a variety of universities and agencies, and published 44 articles, chapters or books and numerous other papers and presentations. He is currently the chair of the University Human Subject Review Board and the Animal Facility Scientific Advisory Committee at Delaware. Dr. DiLorenzo also recently completed his second term on the American Psychological Association’s Commission on Accreditation.

Dr. Robert Jones
As head of Virginia Tech’s biological science department, Jones leads more than 100 faculty and staff members. The department has 90 graduate students and 1,600 undergraduate students who will pursue careers in research, medicine, biotechnology, conservation, and environmental science.

Jones earned a bachelor of science degree in forest management in 1979 and a master’s degree in 1981 from Clemson University. In 1986 he received a doctorate in forest ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

After post-doctoral work at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, he joined the School of Forestry at Auburn University In 1995, he moved to Virginia Tech, becoming department head in 2002.

Jones has continued to advise graduate students and has maintained an active research program in belowground ecology and forest regeneration, with 61 peer-reviewed publications, supervision for 18 graduate theses and $2.5 million in extramural grant funding since 1989. He has also served on National Science Foundation review panels and on the editorial boards for three journals.

At Virginia Tech, Jones lead efforts to remodel general education programs, enhance first year experiences, and construct new academic buildings. He has taught study abroad, undergraduate, and graduate courses in ecology, and has earned five awards for teaching.

Open sessions are scheduled as follows:

DiLorenzo
Tuesday, April 6th
10-10:45 a.m.: Staff, 130 Colson Hall
Noon-1 p.m.: Students, Hatfield’s B, Mountainlair

Wednesday, April 7th
8:30-9:30 a.m.: Faculty, Ming Hsieh Hall Room 126

Jones
Wednesday, April 14th
10-10:45 a.m.: Staff, 130 Colson Hall
Noon-1 p.m.: Students, Mountaineer Room, Mountainlair

Thursday, April 15th
8:30-9:30 a.m. Faculty, Ming Hsieh Hall Room G20

The faculty meetings will be webcast live at http://eberly.wvu.edu/faculty_staff/deansearch, then archived for future viewing. Questions from individuals for any of the open sessions may be submitted in advance via email to eberlysearch@mail.wvu.edu. These questions will be asked as time permits. Evaluation forms will be available in each forum as well as online at http://eberly.wvu.edu/faculty_staff/deansearch.

Each candidate will also meet with President James P. Clements, Provost Wheatly and the University’s associate provosts, campus leaders, Eberly dean’s office administrators, university deans, and the search committee. Curriculum vitae and additional information will be posted online at http://eberly.wvu.edu/faculty_staff/deansearch.

The Eberly College is the largest and most diverse of WVU’s 13 schools and colleges, with more than 8,000 undergraduate and 1,400 graduate students. The college offers 32 majors and 23 minors. Every student at WVU will take at least one course in the Eberly College before graduating.

The new dean, who should be in place by July 1, succeeds Mary Ellen Mazey, who was named provost and vice president of academic affairs at Auburn University in 2009. Rudolph Almasy has served as interim dean since Mazey’s departure.

-WVU-

03/26/10

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