{"674343":{"#nid":"674343","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Q\u0026A With Ivan Allen College Interim Dean Richard Utz","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProvost Steven W. McLaughlin recently entrusted me with leading the College as interim dean, and I thought I should answer some questions the members of our community might have:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EWhat does an interim dean do?\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll the things a dean does, really, only for a shorter period. Those who take an interim job seriously, and I certainly do, know that it isn\u2019t just about keeping the trains running and twiddling one\u2019s thumbs until a longer-term appointment is in place. Leading the Ivan Allen College is an awesome responsibility, whether for an interim period or for several years: Our students, faculty, and staff and their dreams and aspirations always deserve a dean who is fully engaged, adds new ideas, and increases our College\u2019s momentum. And yes, I did read up on \u201cAre you really sure you want that interim job\u201d in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/jobs.chronicle.com\/article\/are-you-sure-you-want-that-interim-job-\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EChronicle\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E before accepting the position.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EWhy do you think you are prepared to lead our College?\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe short version:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EMore than 30 years in higher education at five different institutions in the U.S. and Germany; four years as chair of a large English department; nine years as chair of our College\u2019s largest unit, the School of Literature, Media, and Communication; three years as (senior) associate dean; 11 years as president of my specialty field\u2019s professional organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E4.9 interpolated median CIOS score for instructor effectiveness; 5.0 in inclusiveness, enthusiasm, and respect for students.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003E3 monographs; 21 (co)edited essay collections and special journal issues; 80 journal articles and book chapters; 70 book reviews; 16 pieces in \u003Cem\u003EChronicle of Higher Education\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EInside Higher Ed\u003C\/em\u003E, and \u003Cem\u003ETimes Higher Education\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003ETranslated into French, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish; media mentions in \u003Cem\u003EChristian Science Monitor\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EForbes\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EGazeta Wyborcza\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ENPR\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ENew York Times\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003EUniversitybusiness\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003Ethedotcultura\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ESputnik Mundo\u003C\/em\u003E, \u003Cem\u003ESerious Eats\u003C\/em\u003E (seriously!), \u003Cem\u003ETime\u003C\/em\u003E, and others.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe long version: visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.medievalitas.com\/\u0022\u003Emedievalitas.com\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA final observation: I enjoy low blood pressure and resting pulse, conditions I deem among my principal natural endowments for the job. Drawback: I need to treat these conditions with daily doses of espresso.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EDo you foresee challenges?\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA dean doesn\u2019t work alone but serves as the leader of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/college-leadership\u0022\u003Etried and tested team\u003C\/a\u003E of other experienced and motivated faculty and staff administrators and managers and the members of our various \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/about\/advisory-board\u0022\u003Eadvisory boards\u003C\/a\u003E. I will be able to rely on just such a formidable team, created by Kaye Husbands Fealing, to face programmatic and planning challenges to improve the budgetary and policy framework within which we can do our best work. Moreover, we have our IAC \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/about\/strategy-and-impact\/strategic-plan\/2023-2030\u0022\u003EStrategic Plan\u003C\/a\u003E, developed with input from all College constituencies, and the values and goals in this plan provide a reliable roadmap for future activities. For all these reasons, I am positive we can weather whatever may come our way.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EAre there projects you would like to tackle sooner rather than later?\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are priorities:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EI renewed an urgent request for staff in the area of development to reach our funding goals as part of the Institute\u2019s capital campaign, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ETransforming Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure a smooth transition for promotion and tenure processes and faculty-to-faculty mentoring, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/673882\/alasdair-young-named-interim-associate-dean-faculty-development\u0022\u003EAlasdair Young\u003C\/a\u003E of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs was appointed interim associate dean for faculty development, effective April 1.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EWe need to advance new programs and perform innovative scholarship and research to remain a first choice for top students and faculty from Georgia and the world. To reach this goal, we will incentivize amplifying our creativity for audiences of non-specialists in high impact media, alongside the work we disseminate in peer-reviewed venues.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EWe need to improve on past efforts to build a diverse community of learners, a community that allows everyone to feel they are an essential and cherished member of our College.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cp\u003EI hope to increase the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news-events-georgia-tech-ivan-allen-college-humanizing-stemm\u0022\u003Edeliberate integration\u003C\/a\u003E of the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS) disciplines with our partners in science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). A holistic and plurivocal approach, one that relies on the combined voices of diverse disciplines and their methodologies, will help us solve complex global issues. It also gives us an edge over liberal arts colleges at traditional universities, many of which do not work in concert with their STEMM colleagues. Our new \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/starting-summer-students-can-minor-applications-artificial-intelligence-and-machine\u0022\u003Ecross-college\u003C\/a\u003E minor in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/673896\/ivan-allen-college-offer-applications-minor-conjunction-with-engineering\u0022\u003Eapplications of artificial intelligence and machine learning\u003C\/a\u003E is a great example.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\t\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EAnything BIG on the horizon?\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEarlier this spring, one of the \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kb4Dkh4AOkM\u0022\u003EConversations With Cabrera\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d events featured Dr. Rajiv Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and the author of \u003Cem\u003EBig Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens\u003C\/em\u003E. Shah holds that too many people settle for \u201cgood enough\u201d in problem-solving and avoid going through with comprehensive solutions. I am taking his advice to heart: IAC has experienced impressive growth in productivity, enrollment, and national reputation, but we haven\u2019t really showcased this growth via a commensurately impressive collegewide on-campus event. Thus, in the fall we will offer our campus partners a comprehensive understanding of the massive value added to the Institute by our College and its units. Watch this space!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\u003C\/div\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EInterim Dean Richard Utz answers some questions that members of the Ivan Allen College community may have.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Interim Dean Richard Utz answers some questions that members of the Ivan Allen College community may have."}],"uid":"35777","created_gmt":"2024-04-23 18:53:04","changed_gmt":"2024-04-23 19:11:43","author":"Stephanie Kadel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673434":{"id":"673434","type":"image","title":"Richard Utz2847RTP[44].jpg","body":null,"created":"1710850900","gmt_created":"2024-03-19 12:21:40","changed":"1710850800","gmt_changed":"2024-03-19 12:20:00","alt":"Richard Utz is pictured sitting outside on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus.","file":{"fid":"256831","name":"Richard Utz2847RTP[44].jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/19\/Richard%20Utz2847RTP%5B44%5D.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/03\/19\/Richard%20Utz2847RTP%5B44%5D.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8578160,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/03\/19\/Richard%20Utz2847RTP%5B44%5D.jpg?itok=zfSmjMWD"}}},"media_ids":["673434"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/news\/item\/673595\/richard-named-interim-dean-ivan-allen-college-liberal-arts","title":"Richard Utz Named Interim Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"33431","name":"Richard Utz"},{"id":"174523","name":"Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dean@iac.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EOffice of the Dean\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dean@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}