Athens, Ga. – Naomi Norman, a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and veteran administrator in the department of classics at the University of Georgia, has been named associate vice president for instruction. The appointment is effective April 1.
Norman has served as department head in classics for the last several years and has been a faculty member in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences since 1980, teaching courses in archaeology and Greek. She is a member of the UGA Teaching Academy and served as a Senior Teaching Fellow in 2008-09.
“Dr. Norman has a longstanding record of academic leadership and administration,” said Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction. “She is passionate about providing meaningful learning experiences to students and brings a wealth of knowledge and university experience to the position. We are looking forward to having Dr. Norman’s leadership in the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.”
As associate vice president for instruction, Norman will work with Shrivastav and Ronald Cervero, associate vice president for instruction, to improve levels of support for students. The Office of the Vice President for Instruction oversees units and programs that promote student success, from the offices of Undergraduate Admissions, Online Learning, and the Center for Teaching and Learning to academic initiatives such as the First-Year Odyssey Seminar Program and Washington Semester Program. The associate vice president reports directly to the vice president for instruction.
Since Norman’s arrival at UGA, she has made a significant impact on instruction and has a long record of departmental, university and professional service. Norman has directed University of Georgia Excavations at Carthage (Tunisia) project since 1992 and is director of the UGA Reacting to the Past Program, an award-winning pedagogy that transcends traditional disciplinary divisions and gives students an opportunity to engage in active learning.
From 2004-2013, Norman was the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Archaeology, one of the premier journals for classical archaeology. She has refereed articles and grant proposals for a number of international archaeological journals and funding agencies. She was awarded the M.G. Michael Award for Excellence in Research from UGA and has received major grants, fellowships and awards from the American Philosophical Society, American Council of Learned Societies, Parker Center at Brown University, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Earthwatch and the Kress Foundation to support her research, as well as more than $490,000 since 1981 in internal and external funding and in-kind support for the Carthage excavation and other research projects.
She has served as vice president for publications of the Archaeological Institute of America, has been a member of the AIA lecture circuit since 1991 and is active in the governance of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
“Dr. Norman has an exemplary record of scholarship and instruction, and I am delighted that she has accepted this key leadership position,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.
“I am honored to enter into this new role as associate vice president for instruction in support of the key functional offices and programs that support the university’s core instructional mission,” Norman said. “I am looking forward to working collaboratively with the office’s leadership in engaging students and faculty for success in the classroom and beyond.”
The Office of the Vice President for Instruction supports and enhances teaching and learning at UGA, with particular emphasis on undergraduate education. The vice president for instruction oversees a number of units and programs promoting student success from start to finish. To learn more, see http://ovpi.uga.edu.
