Racevskis, Sanders, Tomova appointed Associate Deans in College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is appointing three faculty members to new collegiate leadership positions, effective January 1, 2020.

Roland RacevskisProfessor of French and Italian Roland Racevskis has been appointed as Associate Dean for the Arts and Humanities. Racevskis joined the UI faculty in 1998, and has served as chair of the Department of French and Italian; chair of the Department of German; and associate director of the Division of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.

 

Sara SandersProfessor of Social Work Sara Sanders will be Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, as well as the college's Director of Diversity. In her role as Director of Diversity, Sanders will chair the CLAS Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Sanders, who is currently director of the School of Social Work, joined the UI faculty in 2003.

 

Maggy TomovaProfessor of Mathematics Maggy Tomova, who joined the faculty in 2005, is being named Associate Dean for the Natural, Mathematical, and Social Sciences. Tomova is currently chair of the Department of Mathematics.

 

Dean Steve Goddard said the new appointments will help CLAS meet its strategic goals.

"I am delighted to welcome these colleagues to our leadership team," Goddard said. "Each is an accomplished scholar and administrator who will bring new energy, vision, and expertise to our college. I look forward to working with them to develop and implement initiatives that will enable us to better serve our students, state, and society."

Professors Jerald Moon of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Ana Rodríguez-Rodríguez of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese led the search committee for the three positions. Goddard expressed his thanks to the committee and the college's faculty and staff for a successful process.

"I have been impressed by the efficient and inclusive process that the search committee conducted, and by the high level of engagement and interest among our faculty and staff," said Goddard. "The quality of applicants we received and the insightful feedback we got from our colleagues during the process are great signs of our shared commitment to excellence and impact throughout our college and the University of Iowa."

The appointees will join Marc Armstrong, Associate Dean for Research and Infrastructure; Helena Dettmer, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Curriculum; Christine Getz, Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Outreach and Engagement; and Goddard as the college's faculty leadership. The CLAS senior leadership team also includes staff members Nic Arp, Director of Strategic Communications; Christina Berthel, Senior Director of Human Resources; and Erin Herting, Director of Business and Financial Administration.

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.