As students prepare to return to classes, they’ll be greeted with new faces of academic leaders for each college. Of the 16 academic units, six
had turnovers in the last year. The College of Education and College of Media are currently searching for permanent deans.

College of ACES

Kimberlee Kidwell was announced as the new dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in July — she is the first woman to hold this post.

She will begin Nov. 1 and is taking over for current dean Robert Hauser, who has filled the role since 2010 and previously served as interim dean in 2009. Hauser will return as a faculty member.

Kidwell is an alumna of the University and of University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she received master’s and doctorate degrees in plant breeding and plant genetics.

She currently works at Washington State University as the executive associate dean of the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. She has served on the faculty since 1994.

“Professor Kidwell has excellent scholarly credentials, leadership experience and management skills,” Interim Provost Edward Feser said in a news release. “She has demonstrated a passion for students and teaching throughout her career, and she has developed her own leadership skills training program, which she plans to help relocate to Illinois in partnership with WSU.”

College of AHS

Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell began as the new dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences on Aug. 16. She will replace long-time dean Tanya Gallagher who announced she was stepping down in December. She has served as the dean since 1998.

The University announced Hanley-Maxwell’s position in July. She currently works as the associate dean of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She earned her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. from Ilinois.

“Dean Hanley-Maxwell has demonstrated an outstanding combination of scholarly accomplishment, prioritization of students, administrative experience, leadership and vision,” said Interim Provost Edward Feser in a news release. He also credits Gallagher for her efforts in helping develop the Khan Annex and Chez Family Foundation Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education.

College of Education

James D. Anderson starts as interim dean of the College of Education effective Aug. 16.

Previous dean Mary Kalantzis is returning to the faculty after serving as dean for 10 years. A search committee, chaired by Dean of the School of Social Work Wynne Korr, is currently searching for a permanent dean.

Anderson has served several key leadership roles, including executive associate dean for the College of Education and as a presidential fellow last year for President Tim Killeen, where he worked as a liaison to help the three University campuses address racial inequities and discrimination.

“I communicated with leadership and faculty within the college and throughout campus, and Professor Anderson was nominated and strongly endorsed repeatedly,” said Interim Provost Edward Feser in a news release. “Given his vast experience in various leadership roles, including as acting dean several years ago, he is an outstanding choice to serve in this interim role.”

College of FAA

Interim Provost Edward Feser served as the dean of College of Fine and Applied Arts, but they brought in an acting dean to help him after he was promoted to provost. Krannert Art Museum Director Kathleen Harleman has been serving as acting dean since the fall of 2015.
Feser, a professor of urban and regional planning, was appointed dean in 2014 and was appointed as provost by Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson. He replaced previous provost Ilesanmi Adesida who resigned on the first day of classes in August 2015 amid a scandal about private email use by former chancellor Phyllis Wise.

College of LAS

Brian Ross has served as acting dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson.

Wilson took over for former chancellor Wise after she resigned in August 2015. Wilson has served as part-time dean, primarily focusing on her duties as chancellor with the help of Ross.

Robert Jones will begin as the University’s next chancellor on Oct. 3, allowing Wilson to return to her position as dean of LAS.

College of Media

Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko was named the interim dean of the College of Media in June after previous dean Jan Slater resigned, after serving for five years.

Chodzko-Zajko also continues to serve as the dean of the Graduate College. In a previous interview with The Daily Illini, Interim Provost Edward

Feser said he hopes Chodzko-Zajko will only have to serve in the position for one academic year but that it is hard to tell how long he will serve.
Carle Illinois College of Medicine

The Carle Illinois College of Medicine is hoping to announce its next dean by the end of the summer, University spokesperson Robin Kaler said.

Around 50 people from across the country applied to be the college’s first dean.

Other recent appointments

Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko became dean of the College of Graduate Studies in August of 2015, replacing current Purdue Provost Deba Dutta.

Jeffrey Brown became dean of the College of Business in August of 2015, succeeding Larry DeBrock who will rejoin the faculty as a professor in the Department of Finance.

Vikram David Amar became dean of the College of Law in August of 2015, succeeding Bruce Smith.

Provost search will not begin until after October

Now that a new chancellor has been selected, the University only has one top-official in an interim position, ending a year that included an interim chancellor, provost, athletic director and football coach.

A search for a permanent provost will not begin until after Chancellor Robert Jones begins and is settled so he can be a part of the proceedings.
Jones officially begins on Oct. 3, allowing Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson to return to her position as dean of LAS.

“Nothing will happen until the new chancellor gets here and has a chance to get his bearings,” University spokesperson Robin Kaler said.

Feser will return to his position as dean of FAA, which he was appointed to in 2014. Krannert Art Museum Director Kathleen Harleman has been serving as dean of FAA while Feser served as interim provost.

Over the last year, Feser has had to take on various events, including helping the campus work on budget cuts during a lack of state funding and helping negotiate with non-tenure track faculty who went on strike during the end of the school year.

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