Tag: Donald Hall

UR hires new dean of admissions

The University of Rochester has hired a new dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management.

Robert Alexander, vice president for enrollment and communications at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss., will start his new role in Rochester June 1.

Robert Alexander
Robert Alexander

“Rob immediately impressed our … search committee of students, faculty and staff with his deep understanding of national trends in enrollment and his experience in attracting and supporting students from diverse backgrounds,” said Donald Hall, dean of the faculty of arts, sciences and engineering. “He will be an inspirational leader for our highly skilled team in admissions, financial aid and enrollment management, and a great external ambassador for the university.”

Alexander will oversee more than 90 staff members, a budget of $9.4 million and the awarding of more than $330 million in student aid.

In a statement about his appointment, Alexander said, “I’m drawn to the University of Rochester by the same distinction that attracts scholars from around the world—the intellectual horsepower of a leading research university combined with the interpersonal growth opportunities of a liberal arts education, where the best and brightest students craft their own programs of study,” said Alexander.

Prior to working at Millsaps, Alexander held enrollment administration positions at University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., and Tulane University in New Orleans. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA from Tulane, and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Madeleine Albright to speak at University of Rochester Oct. 24

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will speak at the University of Rochester Oct. 24 in the ongoing series: “Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change.”

Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state. Photo supplied.
Madeleine Albright

Albright will give a talk on American foreign policy in 2019, followed by a moderated conversation with Donald Hall, UR’s dean of the faculty of Arts, Sciences & Engineering.

The 6 p.m. talk in UR’s Strong Auditorium is free and open to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance online.

“Secretary Albright has been at the center of difficult conversations around American foreign affairs for the past quarter century and more,” Hall said in an announcement about her appearance. “Her work with many of the world’s most important political leaders provides her with unparalleled insights into the challenges facing the U.S. in an increasingly volatile and ever-changing international landscape.”

Albright was the first woman to serve as secretary of state when she was appointed  by President Bill Clinton in 1997. She previously had been the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and a member of the presidential cabinet. Albright also was a member of President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Council and White House staff.

She currently is a professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She is chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. Albright also is president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation.

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Tarduno elevated to research dean seat

John Tarduno is the new dean for research in arts, sciences and engineering at the University of Rochester.

Tarduno is a professor of geophysics and has been chairman of the Department of earth and environmental sciences at UR. He succeeds David Williams, a medical optics professor, who returned to full-time research and the job of directing the Center for Visual Science.

As dean, Tarduno’s responsibilities will include increasing external grants and awards to fund research at UR and encouraging collaborations.

John Taduno. UR photo by J. Adam Fenster
John Tarduno (UR photo by J. Adam Fenster)

Donald Hall, the dean of faculty of arts, sciences and engineering, said of Tarduno, “He has a stellar research background, with 28 grants funded over the past two decades. While he was the primary investigator in 25 of those research initiatives, he is also proved to be a skilled and highly esteemed administrator, most recently serving as chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.”

Richard Waugh, the university’s vice provost for research, said “John’s experience as department chair and his own standing as an accomplished researcher make him ideal for providing leadership and representing the interests of researchers in AS&E.”

Tarduno’s research has focused on the past geomagnetic field, including origin of the geodynamo at the Earth’s core that generates the magnetic field.

Tarduno has received many awards and recognition for his research and teaching. He came to Rochester in 1993, having earned his doctorate in geophysics from Stanford University. Postdoctoral studies followed at Stanford and ETH-Zurich.

“It’s an honor to follow David Williams and build upon his success advancing AS&E research,” Tarduno said. “In particular, I hope to explore how AS&E can expand its research portfolio in federally supported programs, achieve faculty diversity aspirations through new initiatives, and promote collaboration between the disciplines.”

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Angela Davis coming to UR in March

Angela Davis is coming to UR March 5. Getty Images.
Angela Davis is coming to UR March 5. Getty Images.

Activist and writer Angela Davis is the next speaker coming to the University of Rochester in its “Difficult Conversations as a Catalyst for Change” series.

Davis’ talk on “The University’s Role in Educating Students to be Engaged Citizens,” is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 5 in the Feldman Ballroom in the Frederick Douglass Commons on the River Campus.

 

Admission is free, but registration is requested. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first speaker in the series, appearing at UR in November.

The series is presented by Donald Hall, the dean of faculty of arts, sciences and engineering. The event is presented in a question-and-answer format.

Davis, now in her seventies, spent 18 months in jail after being charged by the FBI with murder; guns she purchased for protection were used by others in a takeover protest resulting in the death of several people. She was acquitted of the charges in 1972.

She grew up in Birmingham, AL, and her family was friends with two of the four young girls who died when a bomb blew up a black church during the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.

Davis has been an educator at the university level for many years, most recently spending the last 15 years at the University of California at Santa Cruz.  She has published nine books and lectures worldwide.

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