Bemidji State University names finalists for dean of College of Arts and Sciences

BEMIDJI, Minn. (March 11, 2010) — Bemidji State University has announced four finalists for its position of dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The finalists are Dr. Daniel Brown, dean of University College, Texas A&M Kingsville and associate professor of biology at Texas A&M; Dr. Jon Dalager, chair of the Department of Political Science at Georgetown (Ky.) College; Dr. Paul Faber, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Fort Hays (Kan.) State University; and Dr. P. Joan Poor, assistant to the president for planning at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

On-campus interviews with the finalists begin Thursday, March 18 and will continue through Friday, April 2.

Dr. Daniel A. Brown
Brown is currently dean of Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s University College, and also is an associate professor of biology. From 2004-05, he was coordinator of freshman studies at Eastern New Mexico University. From 1998-2000, he was coordinator of the freshman academic advising office at Eastern New Mexico, and from 2004-05 he was past president of the New Mexico Higher Education Assessment Association. In 2007, Brown was a semifinalist for the National Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition’s Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate.

Brown earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology at Pittsburg (Kan.) State University and a doctorate in plant pathology from Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Jon K. Dalager
Dalager has been chair of the Department of Political Science at Georgetown (Ky.) College since 1999. Dalager was promoted to associate professor in 2000, granted tenure in 2001 and promoted to full professor in 2007. Dalager has experience with curriculum development, strategic planning, faculty mentoring, student advising, accreditation and campus governance. He has also authored several publications pertaining to legal issues in hiring, promotion and academic freedom in higher education.

Dalager earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and speech communication from the University of Minnesota, Morris; master’s and doctorate degrees in political science from the University of Illinois and a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Paul W. Faber
Faber has been dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Fort Hays State University since 2001. He also has served as interim dean of the college and chair of the Department of Philosophy. He has been a full professor at Fort Hays State since 1992 and is a past president of the university’s faculty senate. He has significant experience with assessment, international program delivery, external fundraising and program development.

Faber earned bachelor’s degrees in English and philosophy from Calvin College (Mich.) and master’s and doctorate degrees in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. P. Joan Poor
Poor has served as assistant to the president for planning at St. Mary’s College of Maryland since 2006. She is a tenured faculty member and spent five years as coordinator and chair of St. Mary’s environmental studies program. She is actively involved in college-wide policy decision making, financial and institutional planning, curriculum development, assessment and institutional accreditation. She has also recently completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Management Development Program and attended the HERS Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration.

Poor earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s in natural resource management at the University of Manitoba and holds a doctorate in natural resource/environmental economics from the University of Nebraska.

For more information, please contact Dr. Robert Griggs, associate vice president for extended learning and library, at (218) 755-2068.