Josef M. Broder and Sheila W. Allen have been named interim deans of their colleges by Provost Arnett C. Mace Jr., pending approval by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
Broder, a faculty member in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for 27 years and winner of numerous awards for teaching excellence, became interim dean and director of the college Jan. 1. He is currently interim associate dean for academic affairs and assistant dean for administration in the college. Gale A. Buchanan, who had been dean since 1995, stepped down Dec. 31; he will remain on the college faculty as a professor until he retires from the university on April 30.
Allen, an associate dean and acting department head in the College of Veterinary Medicine who has been on the faculty since 1986, will become interim dean March 1, when the current dean, Keith Prasse, retires. Prasse has been on the faculty 32 years and served as dean since 1996; he is retiring effective Feb. 28.
A search committee is conducting a national search to identify a permanent dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Mace says a search committee will also be appointed to conduct a national search to identify a permanent dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Broder is a professor of agricultural and applied economics and holds the title of University Professor, which recognizes faculty members for making a significant impact on the university. He received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from UGA in 1971 and joined the college faculty in 1977 after earning master’s and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University.
“Dr. Broder possesses excellent administrative and managerial capabilities, significant experience, commitment to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and utmost respect from his colleagues at UGA and external constituents to serve in this capacity,” Mace says. “I am very grateful for his willingness to serve as the interim dean until the search process is completed.”
Allen has been associate dean for academic affairs in the college since 1997 and is also serving as acting head of the department of small animal medicine and surgery. She earned a master’s degree in veterinary clinical pathology from the college while serving her residency in small animal surgery. She holds bachelor’s and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees from Cornell University.
“Dr. Allen has served the College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Georgia with distinction,” Mace says. “She is recognized nationally for her scholarship, teaching and administrative talents and expertise. The college and the university are fortunate to have a person with Sheila’s abilities and expertise to serve as interim dean following Dean Prasse’s retirement. I look forward to working with Sheila to advance the college’s goals and objectives.”
Broder’s current administrative duties include managing the instructional budget for the college. He coordinates recruitment, orientation, registration, student records and student fee allocations and expenditures. He also coordinates scholarships, internships and student awards, and oversees promotion and tenure, faculty leadership programs and awards.
Before moving into administration, Broder was recognized as one of the nation’s best teachers in colleges of agricultural and related sciences. He has received more than 15 teaching honors, including the Josiah Meigs Award (UGA’s highest teaching prize), the D.W. Brooks Distinguished Teaching Award (the top honor in the college) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Award of Excellence for teaching in food and agricultural sciences.
Allen is a specialist in surgery with expertise in oncologic and reconstructive surgery and perioperative pain management. A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, she has developed computer-assisted techniques for teaching basic surgical skills and has received numerous awards for her innovations in instruction.
As associate dean for academic affairs, she has been a leader in revising the college’s D.V.M. curriculum to give students more flexibility in focusing on their areas of interest.