Interim CSAHS Dean Named
January 25, 2013 - Campus Bulletin
The search for a new dean of the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS) will be delayed for one year, Maureen Mancuso, provost and vice-president (academic), announced today. The search will begin after the college completes the Prioritization and Planning Process (PPP).
Prof. Kerry Daly's term as CSAHS dean will end July 1. Prof. John Smithers, chair of the Department of Geography, will serve as interim dean for one year beginning in July. Geography professor Alice Hovorka will be acting department chair during Smithers's secondment.
“We determined it was not optimal to start the search for a new dean while in the middle of the PPP,” Mancuso says.
“I am grateful to John for agreeing to help us during this time of transition and for working with faculty and staff to complete the college’s review.”
The PPP is part of the assessment component of the University’s Integrated Plan. The review of all academic and non-academic programs and services is intended to identify and focus on U of G’s strengths and to direct the University's limited resources to mission-critical services and programs.
A U of G professor since 1995, Smithers was named department chair in 2009. He studies rural change and sustainability, including local and alternative food systems. Earlier, he worked with conservation authorities and the provincial government and in environmental consulting.
