The University of Toledo

UT Board of Trustees - Names Deans for New Colleges

The University of Toledo’s academic reorganization plan continues to progress, with deans recently being named for the University’s five new colleges.

Three of the new colleges were created from disciplines previously existing in the College of Arts and Sciences. Those colleges and their deans include:

The College of Visual and Performing Arts: Prof. Debra Davis, professor of art and chair of the Department of Art, joined UT in 2000. She received a master’s degree in fine art from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and both a master’s degree in instruction technology and a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University.

The College of Languages, Literature and Social Sciences: Dr. Alice Skeens, associate professor of psychology and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been at UT for more than 45 years serving in various administrative capacities. She earned her doctorate from UT, master’s degree from West Virginia University and bachelor’s from Concord College.
 
The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics: Dr. Karen Bjorkman, Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, joined UT in 1996. She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A dean was also named for the new Judith Herb College of Education, Health Science and Human Service, established through the merger of the colleges of Education and Health Science and Human Service (HSHS). Dr. Beverly Schmoll joined UT in 2008 as dean for HSHS. She received a doctorate in administration and higher education from Michigan State University, and earned both a master’s degree in human development and relationships, as well as a bachelor’s in physical therapy, from Wayne State University.

Inaddition, Dr. Benjamin Pryor was named as dean of the new College of Innovative Learning, created to focus on new technologies. He arrived at UT in 1997 and has served in various capacities. He received a doctorate in philosophy from Penn State University, master’s in philosophy from the Claremont Graduate School, and bachelor’s in philosophy and English literature from the University of Redlands.

Rounding out the University’s newest colleges is the UT Honors College, formerly an academic program. New dean Dr. Thomas Barden joined UT’s English department faculty in 1976 and was named director of the Honors Program in 2006. He received a doctorate, a master’s and bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia.

Continuing to provide leadership at UT in their existing capacities are:
- Dean of Business and Innovation:   Dr. Thomas Gutteridge
- Dean of Engineering: Dr. Nagi Naganathan
- Dean of Medicine: Dr. Jeffrey Gold
- Dean of Nursing: Dr. Timothy Gaspar
- Dean of Pharmacy: Dr. Johnnie Early
- Dean of Adult and Lifelong Learning: Dr. Dennis Lettman

A search for dean of the College of Law is currently underway, with the position expected to be filled in February.