Niles Named To Head Virginia Tech's Newest College
Jerry Niles, interim dean of Virginia Tech's College of Human Sciences and Education and the college's former associate dean for innovation, graduate studies, and research, has been named dean of the university's newest college following an in-house search that began in January. Niles will assume the helm of the college, which will merge the College of Human Sciences and Education with the liberal arts departments in the current College of Arts and Sciences. His appointment is effective March 10. The new college will be named later this year.
"Dr. Niles' substantial administrative experience will position the college to move forward as quickly and surely as possible to assume its rightful position as a major force in Virginia Tech's quest for increased prominence as a major research university," said Tech Vice President for Academic Affairs and University Provost Mark G. McNamee in announcing the appointment. "He has the leadership skills necessary to guide the faculty efforts to define a new vision for the arts, humanities, social sciences, human sciences and education at Virginia Tech."
In his new position, Niles will help establish the newly formulated college, define its vision, enhance the quality and diversity of employees and students, create an administrative infrastructure, lead the college's participation in the university's capital campaign, create a climate that encourages all members of the college community to contribute to college and university goals, serve as a member of the university's leadership team, develop internal and external relationships that will promote the college's programs, and provide entrepreneurial leadership for the growth and development of academic, research, and outreach programs.
The college will consist of the departments of English; foreign languages and literatures; history; interdisciplinary studies; music; philosophy; political science; sociology; theatre arts; communication studies; apparel, housing, and resource management; human development; educational leadership and policy studies; and teaching and learning, as well as Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC.
"The future of the new college is certain to be a bright and exciting one. It is being founded on the remarkable achievements and considerable talent of a committed group of faculty and staff from two units who are essential to the core (contactname, contactphone, contactemail, headline, leadsentence, morepara, releasedate, storysource, releasenumber, college, itemnumber, releaseyear) VALUES and long term strategic vision of the University. I am honored and energized by my appointment as the first dean of the newly formed college. I look forward to helping build the collaborations and support structures that will help the college fulfill its highest aspirations," Niles said.
Niles, interim dean of Human Sciences and Education since July 1, 2002, served as associate dean of the college from 1995-02, and chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning from 2001-02 and also from 1993-96. An expert in literacy and reading assessment, he joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 1974 after receiving his doctorate at the State University of New York. He has also been the director of the Center for Educational Diagnostic and Remedial Services. Named the 1998 Outstanding Teacher Educator Leader by the Virginia Association of Teacher Educators, he is a Wine Award recipient, has received several Excellence in Teaching Awards, and is an inductee of the University Academy of Teaching Excellence.
As interim dean of Human Sciences and Education, Niles guided the College in its reshaping of its programs in human sciences, which included facilitating the transition of departments into three other colleges and the inclusion of the Department of Communication into the Human Sciences framework; guided the college through the second round of budget reductions; and facilitated the initial planning of the Graduate School of Education (which will operate within the college) and the reshaping of its programs to focus efforts in science, math, and technology teacher education and leadership for K-12 schools.
