A new associate dean for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be in place for the fall 2011 semester after a set of conducted interviews.

The interview panel for the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics had scheduled four meet-and-greet meetings for the campus community to learn about each candidate.

The four candidates are Jane Bruner professor for the department of biological sciences at CSU Stanislaus; professor Ching-Hua Wang, special assistant to the provost at CSU Channel Islands; Curtis Robinson, executive director of Geothermal Resources Council; and Dave Evans, chair and professor for the department of geology at Sacramento State.

The candidates met the campus community beginning on April 27 with the last meet-and-greet conducted on May 13.

The final decision for the position of associate dean is not expected to be made until the middle of the summer, said Laurie Wheless, the dean’s assistant.

Just before his scheduled meet-and-greet meetings on May 6, Robinson withdrew his consideration for the associate dean’s position. He declined comment for backing out. and wished the other candidates the best of luck in the interview process.

The current associate dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is Laurel Heffernan. Heffernan has been with Sac State for 25 years.

Heffernan was not immediately available for comment.

Trainer said Heffernan is a valued member of the campus.

“In her various roles, Heffernan has worked with just about everyone on campus. She is very well respected and will be missed by the university community,” Trainer said.

She said when Heffernan steps down, she will still be an intricate part of the campus and the department.

“She has served with me for four years as my partner in managing and leading the college,” Trainer said. “After she retires, students will continue to benefit from her experience and knowledge of the university because she plans to volunteer as an academic advisor in the Natural Sciences Advising Center in Sequoia Hall.”

In his third term as the chair of the geology department, Evans said he tries to bring a management style that includes of openness.

“As an administrator at any level, my goal is to build and maintain a high level of trust with faculty and with the administration. This is particularly important at Sac State today in the wake of dramatic budget cuts,” Evans said. “In order to respond to changes with a shared purpose, decision-making must be transparent and built on meaningful consultation; communication must be clear, and respect must be a common value.”

He said he has accomplished many of his goals he set for himself the department and welcomes new prospects.

“Consequently, I look forward to new challenges and opportunities with this position. I find administrative work to be rewarding,” Evans said. “I appreciate having a broad view of the college and universities directions and I have been successful positioning my department to thrive in a changing academic landscape.”

Coming from southern California, Wang said her past helped build her desire for teaching.

“My path in education led me to the campus of San Bernardino because I had a strong desire to teach. This stemmed from my years in Mongolia, where I was a teacher at an early age in a one-room school,” Wang said.

She said the region she taught in was poor and the experience helped her to grow up fast.

“Many of the children came to me without school supplies and hungry. This experience made me want to continuing teaching and with students with similar backgrounds as those in Mongolia,” Wang said. “So when I went to San Bernardino, they told me the backgrounds of many of the students and I knew I wanted to be there.”

Wang documented her time at CSU Channel Islands and said the experience there gave her special insight to the workings of a campus.

“As one of the founding 12 faculty members, we had to build our programs from scratch. So I believe the 10 years I spent at the campus help me learn all intricate parts of how a campus is ran from the ground up,” Wang said.

Associate dean John Oldenburg, of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, said the best individual for the position will possess key abilities that work in multiple areas.

“I believe the best person for this position is someone who has good experience across the disciplines within a college. And has experience with administration and the leadership skills necessary to lead a whole department,” Oldenburg said. “I also believe the position needs someone who can think outside the box and look for opportunities for growth in environments where growth does not come easy.”