Welcoming New Acadenic Leadership and Faculty (Aug. 24, 2010)

To the Campus Community:

As we prepare to welcome approximately 6,300 students to campus this semester – a new Rutgers–Camden record – I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge changes in academic leadership and the addition of established and emerging scholars to the faculty.

On Aug. 1, Jaishankar Ganesh arrived on campus in his new role as dean of the Rutgers School of Business–Camden.  He swiftly immersed himself in the life of the school and is working closely with faculty and staff to identify short- and long-term growth opportunities that will help to establish Rutgers–Camden as a premier center for business education and research. 

At the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Michael Palis has returned to the role of interim dean.  Many will remember Mike’s deft leadership of our largest academic unit while Margaret Marsh served as interim chancellor; we are fortunate to have his thoughtful guidance in place as Rutgers prepares to launch a national search for a new dean of the Rutgers–Camden Faculty of Arts and Sciences this fall.  During this search, Margaret will serve as executive dean of CFAS.

Please join me in offering our full support to both Jai Ganesh and Mike Palis in their new leadership roles.

The fall semester also welcomes the following new tenured, tenure-track, or clinical faculty colleagues to our campus:

Robert Atkins, assistant professor of nursing and childhood studies (PhD, Temple University)

Courtenay Cavanaugh, assistant professor of psychology (PhD, Alliant International University)

Marcia Rubenstein Gardner, assistant professor of nursing (PhD, University of Pennsylvania)

Desmond Lun, associate professor of computer science (PhD, MIT)

Joan Mazelis, assistant professor of sociology (PhD, University of Pennsylvania)

Charlene Mires, associate professor of history and director, Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (PhD, Temple University)

Alison Nissen, clinical associate professor of law (JD, Rutgers–Camden)

In Kwon Park, assistant professor of city and regional planning and economics (PhD, Ohio State University)

Alexander Samokhvalov, assistant professor of chemistry (PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel)

Meredith Schalick, clinical associate professor of law (JD, Rutgers–Camden)

Joseph Schiavo, clinical assistant professor of music (PhD, Rutgers–New Brunswick)

Rick Swedloff, assistant professor of law (JD, University of Pennsylvania)

Melissa Yates, assistant professor of philosophy (PhD, Northwestern University)

I look forward to working with these new colleagues, as well as the entire campus community, as we advance Rutgers–Camden during the new academic year.

Wendell E. Pritchett

Chancellor