By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Texas A&M University-Commerce has announced pending appointments for both the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
President Dr. Dan Jones made the announcement in an email to faculty and staff Wednesday morning.
Dr. Christine Evans has accepted the university's invitation to serve as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Evans is currently Chair of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Professor of Geosciences. Dr. Evans holds the Ph.D. in Soil Genesis and Morphology from the University of Wyoming. She is a prolific scholar in soil science and has a strong record of success in sponsored research. She brings a broad range of experience in strategic planning, science education, curriculum development, and pedagogical innovation. She is well poised to assume a position of academic leadership as Dean.
Dr. Larry Lemanski has accepted the invitation to serve as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Lemanski is currently Senior Vice President for Research and Strategic Initiatives at Temple University and Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology in the College of Medicine. Dr. Lemanski holds the Ph.D. in zoology from Arizona State University. He has had a distinguished scholarly career with more than 100 refereed journal articles to his credit, as well as numerous presentations. He has been extraordinarily successful at securing extramural research support, and also has an equally strong record of commitment to teaching excellence. As Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Lemanski will guide the university in its quest to reach its next level of academic excellence.
Both appointments will be finalized by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents at the May meeting. Pending that approval, both Dr. Evans and Dr. Lemanski will begin their duties on July 1.
Dr. Jones expressed his gratitude toward the members of the search committees for both positions, and is especially grateful to Dr. Brent Mangus, who chaired the search for the Dean of Arts and Sciences; and Dr. David Crenshaw, who chaired the search for Provost.
The naming of both positions comes nearly a month after A&M-Commerce named its next Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Randy Van Deven. Van Deven currently serves as Director of Major Gifts at Tennessee Technological University and will begin his duties in mid-July. A professional engineer, Van Deven began his career in mining prior to joining Tennessee Tech, first as Director of Development for the College of Engineering, and then moving up to his current position.