This has been an exciting year for Misher College of Arts and Sciences and for me personally. The College has gone through some changes, one of which involved naming a new dean. Since August 2007, I have served as interim dean of Misher College of Arts and Sciences. This past academic year, a national search was conducted to identify candidates for the position of dean. In all, six individuals were interviewed, and I am very pleased to have been selected. I feel very fortunate to work among such a talented group of faculty, staff and students, and I am excited to be a part of the evolution of Misher College of Arts and Sciences. I’d like to update our readers on several of the College’s accomplishments during the 2008-2009 academic year and plans for the upcoming year:
Vision and Strategic Plan
This past fall, the faculty of Misher College worked vigilantly on developing a robust vision statement for the College. It was truly a collaborative effort and the statement was adopted in January 2009. Using the “Misher Vision” as a basis, the faculty continues to work on the development of a Strategic Plan for the College. We hope to have this process concluded in fall 2009.
Physics Program
Misher College is very proud to announce that a new major has been put in place. Beginning January 2009 a major in physics was offered by the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Statistics. This program offers students the option of pursuing a materials science or biophysics track. Although the program is only six months old, there are 11 students currently enrolled.
Faculty Accomplishments
The productivity of the Misher College faculty this past year has been quite impressive. The number of peer reviewed publications, presentations at national and international meetings, and submitted and funded research proposals continues to grow. In addition, many publications and presentations included undergraduate and graduate students as authors and presenters, thereby upholding the Misher College of Arts and Sciences mission.
25th Anniversary
The College of Arts and Sciences (later named Misher College of Arts and Sciences) was founded in the 1984 – 1985 academic year when Dr. Allen Misher was president. That means the 2009 – 2010 academic year marks the 25th anniversary of the College. On April 15, 2010, we plan to hold a university-wide celebration to commemorate the event. It will include highlights of the accomplishments of Misher College alumni. We also intend to honor Dr. Allen Misher, Dr. Charles Gibley (founding dean of the college), and Dr. Reynold Verret (former Misher College dean). We anticipate a great showing of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and look forward to this momentous occasion!
I am very happy to share some of the year’s highlights with you, and I look forward to the upcoming activities planned for the next year. We, as faculty and staff, strive to make the Misher College experience a special and positive one for every student at University of the Sciences. I am honored to be a part of this talented team.