Music and LA&SS Deans Announced

Two new Deans at DePaul ---

Ronald Caltabiano

Composer and community engagement leader, Ronald Caltabiano will serve as the next dean for DePaul's School of Music. (UCSF DMM / Marco Sanchez)

RONALD CALTABIANO NAMED DEAN FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Marten denBoer Ph.D. MARCH 31, 2016

I am happy to announce Dr. Ronald Caltabiano will serve as the next dean for the School of Music. He will begin his new role on July 1, and we look forward to welcoming him to our university community.

Our School of Music is gaining both an internationally recognized composer and a dedicated instructor with more than 25 years in higher education, including 14 as an administrator. In his current role as dean and professor for the Jordan College of Arts at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ron oversees the areas of art, arts administration, dance, music, theatre and a community outreach program that reaches 1,800 low-income youth.

On his arrival at Butler in 2011, he managed the completion of and final fundraising for the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, a 450-seat multi-arts venue. The combination of his fundraising efforts and building relationships with key stakeholders resulted in a 40 percent increase in student scholarships for music. Ron's experience as dean, including the management of large arts facilities, prepares him well to lead DePaul's School of Music during the construction of our own new state-of-the-art building.

Ron is also the founding director of Butler ArtsFest, an annual 11-day festival that brings national and international artists on campus to work with students and faculty. He cares deeply about connecting with the local community and developing programs for diverse audiences to enjoy.

Trained at The Juilliard School in New York, Ron launched his musical career as a composer. His compositions have been heard around the globe, with commissions and performances by the San Francisco, Cincinnati and Dallas Symphony Orchestras. Chamber ensembles who have performed his work include Juilliard, Emerson and Arditti String Quartets, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Fires of London. Numerous labels have recorded his compositions, and his extensive experience with performers has enhanced his leadership as an educator.

While maintaining his independent career as a composer, Ron taught music composition and theory at the Manhattan School of Music, Hong Kong Baptist University and the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. He also served as a faculty member and associate dean at the College of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University from 1996 until 2011.

I am thankful for the dedication of the search committee, led by Dean John Culbert. The committee worked hard for months conducting a thorough national search. I appreciate their time and thoughtful consideration. I also would like to thank the faculty and staff who shared insightful comments on the various candidates. The committee and I found them to be very helpful in the decision.

I am also extremely grateful to Judy Bundra, who has done extraordinary work as interim dean for the School of Music since January 2015. Our new dean will benefit greatly from Judy's leadership and experience as he transitions into his new role at DePaul.

In all of my conversations with Ron, he expressed great admiration for the talent embodied in DePaul's School of Music. He looks forward to collaborating with our outstanding faculty, staff and students, especially during the construction of the new music facilities, to build on the school's strengths and foster the next generation of world-class musicians.

Source: Newline Online, March 31, 2016

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Guillermo Vásquez de Velasco

Guillermo Vásquez de Velasco, the next dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, emphasizes the importance of building bridges between academic units to create a multidisciplinary learning environment. (Ball State University/Christopher Helms)

GUILLERMO VÁSQUEZ DE VELASCO NAMED DEAN FOR THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Marten denBoer Ph. D. MARCH 29, 2016

As we begin the spring quarter, I have good news to share with the university community. Guillermo Vásquez de Velasco, an international scholar and designer, will serve as the next dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, effective July 1.

An architect and urban planner by training, Guillermo brings three decades of experience as an educator and university administrator to DePaul. At Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he currently is vice provost and professor of architecture, he earlier served as dean for the College of Architecture and Planning from 2007 to 2015. Prior to joining Ball State University, he was executive associate dean and director of outreach for the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

During his years leading the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State, he and his colleagues set high academic standards with 94 percent of its students holding high school honors diplomas. The college had the highest four-year graduation rate and the lowest attrition rate at the university. He also achieved high levels of alumni engagement and greatly enhanced the collective identity of the college. A strong supporter of experiential learning, he promoted the expansion of graduate programs in the urban core of Indianapolis and a wide variety of study abroad programs.

Guillermo incorporates his training as a designer and planner into all aspects of his work. His natural curiosity makes him a perpetual learner and constant innovator. In his discussions with me, he emphasized an eagerness to build bridges between units and continuing to strengthen our multidisciplinary collaboration at DePaul.

Born and raised in Perú, Guillermo has studied and worked around the world. He earned his doctorate in architecture from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and a master's degree in architecture from the University of Toronto in Canada. He has a bachelor's degree in architecture and urban planning from Ricardo Palma University in Lima, Perú. He has practiced as both an architect and urban planner in Perú and Belgium.

Early in his career he became an independent practitioner and started teaching design courses. He has been working with students ever since and has held faculty positions at Delft University of Technology, the University of Toronto, as well as Sagrado Corazon University and Ricardo Palma University. He currently teaches a distance-education course at Ball State University on the fundamentals of design thinking. In his words, teaching is addictive, a sentiment I believe we all share at DePaul.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the search committee, led by Salma Ghanem, dean for the College of Communication. The committee completed a thorough national search, and I am grateful for their dedication to this task. I also am thankful for the feedback I received from faculty and staff throughout the search process. The committee and I found all the comments to be helpful in our decision.

In addition, I would like to thank Lucy Rinehart who has done outstanding work as interim dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences since January 2015. I am sure our next dean will appreciate Lucy's insights and experience as he transitions into his new role at DePaul.

We look forward to welcoming Guillermo to the DePaul community.

Source: Newsline Online, March 29, 2016

Farewell to Deans Casey and Suchar

FAREWELL TO DEANS CASEY AND SUCHAR

Rachel Marciano

 DECEMBER 03, 2014

Donald Casey and Chuck Suchar

Cortelyou Commons was buzzing with faculty and staff on the afternoon of Nov. 17, as Deans Don Casey and Chuck Suchar prepared to give their farewells before they retire at the end of the year. Each received a Via Sapientiae Award, DePaul's highest honor for faculty and staff, for their tremendous contributions to the university.

"The number of accomplishments these men had a hand in during their time at DePaul is nothing short of extraordinary," says David Miller, interim provost for DePaul and dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media.

Casey first arrived at DePaul in July of 1995 to fill the position of dean for the School of Music. During his 20 years of leadership, the school took great strides both academically and philanthropically. Casey immediately began cultivating relationships with Chicago's music scene, which created an environment that attracted world-class faculty. He raised performance standards and developed a more enriching academic experience for students. The dean also more than tripled the number of available endowed scholarships, which made the music program more accessible to students.

Because of his leadership and influence, several of the school's ensembles are now widely regarded as among the best in the country. Casey even helped initiate "Christmas at DePaul," the annual concert that has become one of the university's most loved holiday traditions. In addition, his encouragement led to the Community Music Division providing musical instruments and instruction to 150 children in the Lawndale neighborhood.

"In all things, DePaul leads with the heart," Casey says about his time at the university. "That's why it's felt like home since the moment I walked through the door. I'm so very grateful that DePaul found me."

Suchar started his career at DePaul as an undergraduate student 50 years ago. Similar to many of DePaul's current students, Suchar brought a unique cultural heritage to the university. "I was born in the Soviet Union, but spent the first four and a half years of my life in a displaced persons camp in Germany," he says. "DePaul was the first major step in achieving my American dream -- of making something of myself."

Since his graduation, he has spent 43 years in various positions throughout the university. In addition to teaching, Suchar held many administrative roles, including director of the University Honors Program, division head of behavioral and social sciences, chair of sociology and anthropology, associate dean and ultimately dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

As a scholar, Suchar combined his passion for photography and sociology to help pioneer the field of visual sociology. In 1996 he earned DePaul's Excellence in Teaching Award, but his influence branched beyond the classroom and into administration. As associate dean of LAS, he co-founded the Discover and Explore Chicago program, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary. The program helps freshmen not only adjust to life in Chicago, but also provides them with academic success skills. The curriculum also has been a model for similar programs at universities across the country.

"It's been a tremendous ride, and all I can say is thank you, DePaul," Suchar says.

Source: Newsline Online, December 4, 2014

Interim Deans Appointed for School of Music and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

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