February 06, 2007

Candidates for science dean to visit campus

by Tim Crosby

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Three candidates for dean of the College of Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will visit the campus during the next few weeks.

Officials also plan to interview a fourth candidate, who will visit campus at a date yet to be determined. The candidates are vying for the position left vacant by Jack Parker, who retired last year. Professor James Tyrrell is filling in as interim dean for now.

Each of the three candidates currently scheduled will hold presentations and open forums during which members of the campus community and general public can meet with them. The specific itineraries for two of the candidates are not yet final.

The candidates scheduled for visits are:

• Charles J. Amlaner Jr., Thursday and Friday, Feb. 8-9.

Amlaner is the founding chairperson of Department of Ecology & Organismal Biology at Indiana State University. He earned a bachelor of science degree in biophysics and a master of arts degree in biology from Andrews University in Michigan and earned his doctoral degree in animal behavior in 1982 from Oxford University.

Amlaner's presentation and open forum is set for 2:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday in conference room 1059 in Life Science III.

• Jay C. Means, Feb. 19-20.

Means is associate director of the Environmental Research Center at Western Michigan University. He earned a bachelor of science degree in education, master of arts in food chemistry and doctorate in food chemistry from the University of Illinois. He also earned a master of arts in curriculum development from Concordia Teacher's College.

• Michael S. Jacobson, Feb. 22-23.

Jacobson is chairman of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Science Center. He earned a bachelor of science degree in mathematics at State University of New York at Stony Brook, a master's of science in mathematics and doctorate in mathematics from Emory University.