Academic leadership changes
A number of important academic leadership changes that will take place in the coming months were approved by the Board of Regents on March 26, 2015.
Lorraine Busby, university librarian, has decided not to seek renewal for a third term. Ms. Busby’s term concludes on Aug. 31, 2015, but will be extended to Dec. 31, 2015, to allow sufficient time for a successful search for this key position.
Ms. Busby has served as university librarian at Memorial since the fall of 2007. During her time as university librarian, Ms. Busby spearheaded initiatives that anticipated and adapted to the transformative digital landscape of today’s academic libraries, including the evolution to a new library services platform, a redesigned library website, a best-in-class digital archive, and the development of a more prominent role in the dissemination of Memorial’s research output and scholarly communication.
Dr. Ellen Waterman was recommended for renewal in the role of dean of the School of Music but has decided instead to return to her role as a professor and dedicate more time to her research. She will finish in the role on June 30, 2015. Dr. Maureen Volk, professor in the School of Music, will serve in the role pro tempore effective July 1, 2015, until a permanent dean is appointed or until April 30, 2016.
During her tenure as dean, Dr. Waterman ran a successful campaign to renew the fleet of pianos at the School of Music, developed the school’s first continuing full-tuition scholarships, and launched the Bruneau Centre for Excellence in Choral Music. Dr. Waterman is an ethnomusicologist and flutist whose research focus is on improvisation and contemporary music performance. She is a core researcher in the International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation, funded by a SSHRC Partnership Grant.
Dr. Volk is an accomplished pianist who has been with the School of Music in various capacities for more than 30 years. She was director of the School of Music at Memorial from 1990-2000 and previously served in the role of associate dean. In 2014 she was awarded a prestigious 3M National Teaching Fellowship.
Dr. Faye Murrin will continue in the role of dean of the School of Graduate Studies, pro tempore effective immediately until a permanent dean is recruited.
Dr. Murrin is associate professor in the department of biology and has served in a number of positions on the Council of the Mycological Society of America and was awarded the title of MSA Fellow for her contributions. She was also the recipient of the Women in Science and Engineering Lifetime Membership Award as founding co-director of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer Program.
“I offer my thanks to Ms. Busby and Dr. Waterman for their strong leadership and many contributions to Memorial University, and I wish them well in their future endeavours,” said Dr. Noreen Golfman, provost and vice-president (academic). “I also look forward to working with Dr. Murrin and Dr. Volk in these important and challenging acting positions while the searches for permanent deans take place.”
Separate search committees for all three positions will be established in the coming weeks and searches will begin shortly.