The College of Arts and Humanities will soon have a permanent leader as the search for a new dean enters its final stages.

“The college, I think, is very anxious and ready for a new dean to be identified and appointed,” Blair Lord, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said. “They are, I think, optimistic about the future as well as a little anxious because of the changes, but we’re all ready to have a new dean identified to join us.”

Lord, who will make the final hiring decision, said he would like to have a candidate named early in the spring semester, but the new dean will not start until July 1.

Interim dean Jeffrey Lynch will finish his one-year appointment, which began after dean James Johnson retired on June 30, 2009.

An initial search was conducted last year, but did not yield a candidate Lord thought was right for the university. The second search brought six final candidates to Eastern’s campus for two days of interviews late last semester.

“There were approximately 60 individuals that turned in applications, and 45 of them met the stated qualifications,” Lord said. “I believe it was a stronger group overall than last year, and I’m looking forward to being able to make an appointment from this group.”

The finalists’ group included Eastern’s own Bonnie Irwin, dean of the Honors College, as well as five others.

Marilyn Levine is currently the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Oregon University, Le Grande, Ore.

Steven Brown is the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan.

Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak is the associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi, Texas.

Elizabeth Dunn is the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minn.

Roger Smitter served as the executive director of the National Communication Association in Washington, D.C. from 2004 to 2009.

Interviews concluded on Dec. 17, and the search committee, led by Dr. Mary Anne Hanner, dean of the College of Sciences, presented its information and feedback to Lord on Dec. 18.

“I’m sifting through all that now,” Lord said. “It’s a matter of finding a candidate that I think brings a skill set, a vision and a temperament to be the very best we can have for this college at this moment. It’s a lot of qualitative judgments that go into that.”

Lord said he is looking for a candidate who will help pull the arts and humanities together.

“I’m not looking for a dean to make wild changes,” said Lord. “I want someone to help us consolidate what we already have and move us to the next level in accomplishment.”

Sarah Ruholl can be reached at 581-7942 or at