Finalists chosen in search for Graduate School dean

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a step closer to choosing a Graduate School dean.

A 15-member committee selected four finalists through a five-month search and screen process and presented the choices to Chancellor Rebecca Blank, Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf and Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Marsha Mailick.

Each finalist will give a public presentation at Grainger Hall between April 27 and May 5. They are:

William Karpus: Professor in the Department of Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and associate dean for student affairs at The Graduate School at Northwestern.

Presentation: April 27, 1:15-2:15 p.m. in room 4151, Director’s Room

Beth Meyerand: Professor and chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UW–Madison and a professor in the Department of Medical Physics.

Presentation: April 28, 1:15-2:15 p.m. in room 5120, Capitol Conference Room

Brian Mitchell: Dean in residence at the National Science Foundation/Council of Graduate Schools and professor (on leave) in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane University. Mitchell is a graduate of UW–Madison.

Presentation: April 29, 1:30-2:30 p.m. in room 5120, Capitol Conference Room

Gail Dubrow: Professor of architecture and landscape architecture, public affairs and planning; professor of history; and associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Presentation: May 5, 1:15-2:15 p.m. in room 4151, Director’s Room

Employees may attend the talks in pay status, with supervisor permission, if the presentations fall during normal work hours. During these presentations, the finalists will lay out their vision for the role.

“We are excited about our four finalists and the perspectives they bring,” says Tony Goldberg, professor of pathobiological sciences at the UW–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and chair of the committee. “Each finalist has a strong vision for the future of graduate education and each has had unique experiences. The committee is confident these individuals appreciate the challenges and opportunities that graduate education faces at UW–Madison and beyond, and that they could help move our institution forward in creative new directions.”

The dean of the Graduate School reports to the vice chancellor for research and graduate education, following a reorganization last year, and is responsible for the support of more than 9,000 graduate students and 150 graduate programs, for setting university-wide standards and policies, promoting diversity initiatives, and serving a variety of advocacy and communications roles.

In addition, the Graduate School dean oversees central administration of an office with 25 employees, an operating budget of $2.5 million, and $16 million in pass-through funds, including fellowships. The National Research Council ranks UW–Madison graduate programs third in the nation.

“Graduate education is an important foundation of our university’s teaching, learning and research success,” says Mailick. “We look forward to selecting one of these fine candidates to lead this vital campus resource.”

Mailick and other senior campus leaders will interview the finalists and reach a decision shortly after the campus visits. More information about each finalist and an online feedback form can be found at the Office of the Provost’s Academic Leadership Searches site (http://provost.wisc.edu/grad-school-dean.htm).