Campus News

Committee formed to find permanent public health dean

A search committee has been formed to recommend a candidate to be permanent dean of the university’s College of Public Health.

The college was created in 2004 and began operation in January, 2005, as UGA’s 15th school or college. Phillip L. Williams has served as interim dean since the college started.

Svein Oie, dean of the UGA College of Pharmacy, will chair the 12-member committee, which will conduct a national search to fill the position.

Arnett C. Mace Jr., senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, appointed the committee and said the goal is to have the new dean in place by the beginning of fall semester.

In addition to Oie, other faculty members on the committee are Mary Alice Smith, environmental health science; Luke Naeher, environmental health science; Cham Dallas, pharmaceutical and biomedical science; David DeJoy, health promotion and behavior; Carol Cotton, health promotion and behavior; Rebecca Mullis, foods and nutrition; Robert Galen, health administration, biostatistics and epidemiology; and Vicki Freimuth, speech communication.

Others on the committee are Kathy Shelnut, business affairs manager in the college’s dean’s office; Kelcie Fincham, a student working on a master’s degree in public health; and John Drew, president and CEO of Athens Regional Medical Center.