Faculty Senate holds new elections

In its final meeting of the academic year, the Faculty Senate on Wednesday elected its chair and members of the Senate Agenda Committee for the following year. Richard Daynard, Distinguished Professor of Law, served as chair this year and was elected to the same role for next year.

Mary Jo Ondrechen, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, served as secretary this year and was also elected to the same position for the coming year. Carey Rappaport, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and deputy director of ALERT (Center for Awareness and Localization of Explosives-Related Threats, a multi-university Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence), was also reelected to the committee. The committee’s newly elected members are Lori Lefkovitz, Ruderman Professor and director of the Jewish Studies program, and a professor in the Department of English; Javed Aslam, professor of computer and information science; and Richard Strasser, associate professor in the Department of Music.

Stephen W. Director, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, thanked committee members for their hard work and dedication over the last year and looked ahead to the Senate returning in the fall.

At the meeting, the Senate also passed several academic degree programs, including a bachelor of science in rehabilitation studies, a bachelor of science in architectural studies; a Ph.D. in network science; and a doctor of philosophy in ecology, evolution, and marine biology.