Godson Obia is a busy man.

He handles the full-time job of associate dean of the College of Sciences. Because of that job, Obia is in charge of the college’s budget.

He also manages and oversees the workloads of faculty members within the entire college.

On top of that, Obia manages to teach Global Threats and Problems in the Physical Science Building.

Coming into this semester, Obia’s busy schedule became hectic after he was named interim chair of the biology department. Obia did not hesitate to explain why he took the position.

“Because I’m crazy,” he said, laughing.

Obia said he is crazy because he now has to juggle his associate dean duties, his interim chair duties and his teaching duties.

Mary Anne Hanner, dean of the College of Sciences, said she chose Obia for interim because he brings expertise in leadership and management.

He will also bring experience in college administration to the position, she said.

Obia has served as associate dean for the past eight years.

Andy Methven, former biology department chair, requested a leave from administrative duties during the fall semester, Hanner said.

She said Methven would be working with colleagues on a research project this semester.

Methven’s last day as chair was Dec. 31. Phone and e-mail inquiries to Methven were not returned.

Prior to the end of the fall semester, a search committee was formed to look for a replacement to Methven.

He was originally going to continue as chair until June 30, with the new chair taking control on July 1.

In February 2008, he announced his intention to step down as chair to the biology faculty.

The announcement came during a time of heated disputes between faculty and administrators of the department, most notably with a disagreement about the use of graduate assistants teaching classes.

Obia said he would now serve as interim chair until June 30, unless the person hired to the permanent position wanted to start working before July 1.

He said Methven intends to stay with the department as a professor.

Obia said he was the easiest person to make the transition to interim because the responsibilities are similar to his associate dean responsibilities.

“At that time, it would have been very difficult to get another faculty member to step in because that person was going to study the budget, workloads and faculty assignments,” he said.

With his hectic schedule, Obia said he spends Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Life Science Building and spends Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Old Main handling his associate dean position.

He has already held two faculty meetings where everyone not teaching class at that time attended.

In the past, groups of faculty would not attend meetings because of disagreements.

“They have been very receptive to what’s going on,” Obia said. “They are responding very well.”

He said he is talking to faculty members on both sides of issues that divided the department. Each individual has given him advice, he said.

“I don’t believe that you make enemies,” Obia said. “I believe you look at both sides of an issue.”

He said he is not aware of any complaints about him being appointed as interim chair. He said he believes that it is OK to agree to disagree sometimes; however, Obia said he has to allow a person to speak his or her grievances.

“After all, this is not an authoritarian position,” he said. “You are working with colleagues, and you have to show them that respect.”

Obia said, while serving as interim chair, he has a variety of goals he wants the department to achieve.

The review to be a first choice program in the Graduate School will take place in April. Obia said he has been working with that department committee to prepare for the review.

“I know the department has quality, but because of negative publicity, some people don’t know that,” he said. “(The review) will be a chance to show what we can do.”

The university is also expecting budget reductions in state appropriations for the fiscal year.

Obia said he is working with others to figure out ways to make staff reductions in the department without diminishing the quality of instruction to students.

He said he is responsible for evaluating biology faculty members for tenure, promotion and merit.

As associate dean, he will then have to evaluate the 50-plus annually contracted faculty of the college.

“It will be difficult, but I think I’m up to the task,” Obia said.

In addition to Methven leaving as chair, the interim associate chair of the biology department will also step down.

Marina Marjanovic will leave the position later this week after she requested for a leave without salary.

Obia said a colleague wanted her for a position at a new center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The leave will allow her to test out the position for six months. Marjanovic started as interim associate chair after Robert “Bud” Fischer decided to take a job at the University of Alabama-Birmingham this past summer.

“That complicated things even more,” Obia said of Marjanovic leaving.

With that, Obia appointed biology professor Gary Bulla to the interim associate chair position.

Obia said Bulla has been working with Marjanovic to help him transition to the position.

“He is a very well liked person there, and the faculty approved his appointment,” he said.

Obia said his overall goal, as interim, is to showcase the strengths of the department. He said the faculty is talented, with diverse backgrounds.

“This is a high quality department,” Obia said. “It is one of the best departments in the university. My job is to make sure people know and understand that.”

He said his job is to operate transparently.

He said he needs to make sure what he says to a person’s face is the same thing he says behind the person’s back.

But with juggling all his duties, one matter is assured: Obia will get plenty of exercise this semester.

“It keeps me thin,” he said, laughing.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.

Godson Obia, the newly appointed interim chair of the biology department, appointed Gary A. Bulla (pictured), professor of biological sciences, as the interim associate chair of the College of Sciences. Bulla has been working with Marina Marjanovic, who h

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