I am pleased to announce the appointment of Paul R. Fossum, associate professor of education, as associate dean for academic affairs, and of Mesut Duran, associate professor of educational technology, as associate dean for research and administrative affairs. Both appointments are effective July 1 and have been approved by the Board of Regents. I am grateful to both of them for being willing to assume these leadership roles at this pivotal moment in the school’s history.
Professor Fossum earned his doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Paul joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 1997. At UM-D he has played a number of important roles, including serving as an elected member of the School of Education's Executive Committee, the University of Michigan Senate Assembly on the Ann Arbor campus, and the UM-D Faculty Senate and Senate Council, which he also chaired for a term. In the SOE he has coordinated the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, and he was co-director, with Mesut Duran, of a U.S. Department of Education grant project on technology utilization in instruction. Most recently, Paul served as interim dean of the School of Education for the 2009-2010 academic year. In that role he drew praise from many in the school and from others across the UM-D campus. His scholarly interests include comparative education and international educational exchange, social and ethical aspects of instructional technology, and the democratization of public postsecondary and K-12 schooling.
Professor Duran earned his doctorate from Ohio University in 2000. Mesut joined the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2000. At UM-D he has played a number of important roles, including serving as an elected member of the School of Education's Executive Committee, as a member of the UM-D Faculty Senate and Senate Council, and on several technology-related committees in the school and the university. Most recently, Mesut served as chair of the SOE dean search committee during the 2009-2010 academic year. He was co-director, with Paul Fossum, of the U.S. Department of Education grant project mentioned above, and he currently directs the Fostering Interest in Information Technology (FIT) project, funded through the National Science Foundation's Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. His scholarship is focused on improving the capacities of postsecondary and K-12 teachers in their use of instructional technology.
I am delighted that Paul and Mesut have agreed to serve as part of the team in the dean’s office. They bring experience, insight and wisdom to their roles, and we are fortunate to have them sharing the leadership of the school.
