|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
Havidán Rodríguez named vice provost for academic affairs
Rodríguez, whose appointment is effective Sept. 1, replaces Conrado (Bobby) M. Gempesaw, who was recently named dean of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. “Havidán Rodríguez is an outstanding scholar and teacher, with extensive experience and accomplishments as an academic administrator,” Rich said. “I am delighted that he has accepted the position of vice provost for academic affairs, and I'm confident he will provide outstanding leadership in a position that is essential to the mission of the University of Delaware.” “I am very pleased with the appointment, particularly given the excellent work as vice provost for academic affairs carried out by Bobby Gempesaw over the last several years,” Rodríguez said. “I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the long tradition of excellence at the University of Delaware.” The appointment will become effective with the beginning of the fall semester, and for now Rodríguez will continue in his role as director of the internationally renowned Disaster Research Center. Rodríguez came to UD as director of the center in 2003 after more than a decade as a professor and administrator at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. He arrived at that institution as an assistant professor of sociology after receiving a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “I have been in administration since my second year as an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, when I was asked to serve as associate chair of the Department of Social Sciences,” Rodríguez said. He subsequently served as chair of the department, director of that university's Disaster Research Laboratory, director of its Center for Applied Social Research, associate dean for academic affairs and research for the College of Arts and Sciences, and interim dean for academic affairs for the university. He also served three years as director of the minority affairs program for the American Sociological Association in Washington, D.C. “Throughout my career, I have combined administrative interests with academic and research interests,” Rodríguez said. He said he is proud of his record as director of UD's Disaster Research Center, noting an increased number of research projects and students, and he is particularly fond of the successful summer undergraduate research program. “As I prepare to step down as director, I see great opportunities for the center to continue to grow and to meet new challenges. At the same time, I hope to continue to collaborate with my colleagues at the center.” Several of those colleagues encouraged Rodríguez to apply for the directorship in the first place. “After more than a decade in the Caribbean, I was not really looking to leave Puerto Rico,” he said. However, the opportunity to lead UD's Disaster Research Center was too great to pass up. “This is the oldest social science disaster research center in the world, a leader internationally with a great reputation. I was honored to be offered the position,” he said. Besides the opportunity to serve as director of the center, Rodríguez said he was lured to UD by its rich tradition of strong academic and research programs, and by the clear vision expressed by various officials, including Rich. “When you combined the various features, UD was a very attractive place,” he said. As vice provost for academic affairs, Rodríguez said he plans to “continue a long tradition at the University of Delaware of attracting talented students, both at the undergraduate and the graduate levels.” Rodríguez said he plans to consider new programs to “enhance the student experience” and to “better prepare students entering a society that is experiencing changes at all levels.” He added that an important goal is to continue to diversify the student population. Article by Neil Thomas |
|
|
