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Moravian University Selects Two New Academic Deans

Moravian University Selects Two New Academic Deans

Deans Selected to Help Lead New Vision

Diane Husic, professor of biology, and Gary Kaskowitz, associate professor and department chair of economics and business, are tapped to help implement the new vision and strategy for Moravian University.

Change is coming to the organizational landscape of Moravian University. Formerly the view looked like this: The College, encompassing several discipline-based divisions for undergraduate study, The Comenius Center for Continuing and Graduate Studies and The Moravian Theological Seminary. Under the new organization, undergraduate and graduate studies will be combined under two schools, The School of Natural and Health Sciences and The School of Art, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The Moravian Theological Seminary will remain its own entity but part of the college.

“This new organization will help us enhance our undergraduate degrees, expand our graduate degree programs, grow our continuing professional development programs, and expand our liberal arts reach into professional education,” explains Cynthia Kosso, Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

“The former graduate and adult education model depended largely on adjunct faculty to support these programs and did not allow departments sufficient control over curriculum and faculty hires,” adds Kosso. “And from an administrative and budgetary perspective, many Comenius Center functions such as recruitment, admissions, and the responsibilities of the registrar were being centralized already to increase efficiencies.”

To help implement and carry forward this new strategy and vision, Diane Husic, professor of biological sciences has been selected Dean of the School of Natural and Health Sciences and Gary Kaskowitz, associate professor and department chair of economics and business has been named Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Diane Husic

Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences here at Moravian University since 2004, Husic has received accolades for her teaching and leadership roles. Since 2012, she has been an invited member of the Steering Committee of the Research and Independent NGO’s Civil Society Constituency Group for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Among many other endeavors, Husic worked closely with National Geographic on the National Geographic Geo-Educator Community Steering Committee, and as a steering committee member of the Pennsylvania Climate Change Adaptation Working Group on Natural Resources.

“It is such an honor to have been selected to serve in this founding dean role, especially since I was chosen by my colleagues,” says Husic. “I am excited about the new direction of the college and new opportunities that will now be possible. But I also understand that change is scary for many and navigating this new territory will take some sensitivity, a lot of listening, and finding ways to build wider scale community support on campus.

“The decision came as I was involved with one of my favorite programs, which Hilde Binford, associate professor of music, and I have built—bringing students to the UN climate conferences, something only a very small number of undergraduates (and even fewer from small schools) have the opportunity to do,” adds Husic. “It is these types of activities and my love for students that give me pause about my shifting roles, but as dean, I believe I will be able help develop opportunities for students and faculty in new ways.”

Husic’s first steps will be to meet with the administration to define the scope of her role and then engage with individual departments to get up to date on the various initiatives with which she has not been directly involved. “I suspect that much of my time initially will be dedicated to working with the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and their new programs to get them up and running,” says Husic. “Undergraduate research, leadership development, and interdisciplinary learning and scholarship in the liberal arts setting are things that I am passionate about.”

Gary Kaskowitz

A member of the faculty here at Moravian University since 2003, Kaskowitz currently serves as Chair of the Department of Economics and Business. He has been a transformative teacher, heavily involved in SOAR, Honors and other undergraduate research projects. This past year he was awarded the Timothy M. Breidegam Memorial Faculty & Administrator Service Award given to a member of the University community who has unselfishly given his or her service to our community. He is held in great esteem by his colleagues for his critical role in strategic planning, his cross-departmental collaborative efforts, and his dedication to the idea that the liberal arts are foundational and cannot be separated from professional studies.

“I am very happy and excited to be taking on this new role,” says Kaskowitz. “Moravian University is at a very important juncture, and I am convinced that we have the vision and people to really make our mark on higher education. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help showcase the value of a liberal arts education and the importance of listening, critical thinking, integration, and synthesizing. These are among the key cornerstones of knowledge and well-lived lives.

“Among my first steps as dean, I expect to continue conversations with my colleagues across the campus to help us better define ourselves and what we mean by a liberal arts education and to work with them to better support the Moravian University vision of education for life,” adds Kaskowitz. “I also plan to seek out key ideas and thoughts from our disciplines for sharing and discussion, and I intend to help promote the value and importance of faculty research to our outside community.”

“Please join me in congratulating Dr. Husic and Dr. Kaskowitz and thanking them for their willingness to serve the University and help us achieve our strategic and visionary goals,” says Kosso.