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| Lucy Rinehart, Interim LA&SS Dean (L); Judy Bundra, Interim Music Dean |
INTERIM DEANS APPOINTED FOR SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Elizabeth Clements NOVEMBER 13, 2014
David Miller, interim provost, announced today two interim dean appointments. Judy Bundra will serve as interim dean for the School of Music, and Lucy Rinehart will serve as interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
"The faculty in both Music and LAS recommended and enthusiastically supported these appointments," Miller says. "Judy and Lucy each possess exceptional leadership and administrative skills. Their respective colleges will be in good hands during this time of transition."
Bundra and Rinehart will serve as interim deans as Don Casey, dean of the School of Music, and Chuck Suchar, dean of LAS, prepare to retire on Dec. 31. Casey joined DePaul 20 years ago to serve as dean of the School of Music. Suchar has been a member of the faculty for 43 years and has served as dean of LAS since 2006.
"It has been a privilege working with Don and Chuck these many years," Miller says. "They have both had an incredible impact on our students and the entire university. We are extremely grateful for everything they have done for DePaul."
These deans will now pass the batons to Bundra and Rinehart, who will assume their new posts on Jan. 1 for a period of 18 months.
As associate dean of academic affairs in the School of Music since 1999, Bundra oversees the undergraduate and graduate music programs. A music consultant to organizations and school districts across the country, she regularly gives workshops on such topics as curriculum and assessment, multicultural music, comprehensive arts education, early childhood music education and creativity in the arts.
"At DePaul, I have been fortunate to serve under two extraordinary deans, Fred Miller and Don Casey," she says. "I am honored to serve the School of Music as interim dean and look forward to working with our outstanding faculty, staff and students in the coming months."
Bundra became a member of the School of Music faculty in 1987 and served as chair of the music education department from 1990 to 1999. In addition to representing the School of Music on multiple university committees and councils, Bundra also earned the 2012 Spirit of DePaul award. She is currently vice-chair of the Negaunee Music Institute of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Arts Higher Education Panel for the Chicago Public Schools.
"With the forthcoming music facilities, we are entering a phase of excitement and growth," she says. "I am committed to furthering the quality and reputation of the School of Music."
A scholar of early American literature, Rinehart is currently chair of the English department in LAS. She teaches courses in pre-Civil War American literature and the history of literary reading. Prior to her current appointment, she served as associate dean of undergraduate studies in LAS from 2007 to 2011 and as director of undergraduate studies in English from 1997 to 2007. She joined the DePaul faculty in 1992 and has served on numerous committees, including the LAS personnel and curriculum committees and as chair of the LAS Committee on Advising and the Reading Task Force.
"I'm honored by this appointment and well aware that I'm stepping into some big shoes," Rinehart says. "In his many years of leadership, Chuck Suchar has tirelessly supported the college's engagement with the increasingly global city of Chicago through the development of a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and co-curricular programs."
Dedicated to training the next generation of educators, as associate dean, Rinehart helped develop TEACH. The dual-degree program gives undergraduate students in LAS and the College of Science and Health the opportunity to complete their majors and a master's degree, with teaching certification, in the College of Education in five years. She served as co-director of this program from 2010 to 2012.
"The next 18 months, as we search for our permanent dean, provide an excellent opportunity to take stock of, and build on, the strengths of our programs," Rinehart says. "I look forward to collaborating with our dedicated leadership in supporting our diverse and accomplished faculty and fostering cross-curricular pathways for our students to prepare them for the dynamic worlds of work they will enter."
Source: Newsline on-line November 13, 2014
