Newswise — RICHMOND, Va. (April 6, 2011) – James S. Coleman, Ph.D., a highly regarded ecology and evolutionary biologist and academic administrator, has been named dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences, effective July 15.
Coleman currently is vice provost for research and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Rice University in Houston.
The VCU College of Humanities and Sciences is the largest of VCU’s colleges, enrolling more than 15,000 students in three schools and more than 15 departments and programs in the liberal arts and sciences.
“Dr. Coleman brings a wealth of experience in both the advancement of research priorities and in academic administration,” said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “We fully expect that, through the combination of his background and creative energy with the excellent faculty and distinctive programs in the college, Dr. Coleman will provide the visionary leadership that will bring the entire College of Humanities and Sciences into the spotlight.”
Coleman was on the faculty of the Department of Biology at Syracuse University from 1990 to 1997. He was a program officer at the National Science Foundation and held leadership positions at the Desert Research Institute as well as at the Nevada Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Before joining Rice University in 2007, he served as vice provost and vice chancellor for research at the University of Missouri.
Coleman’s most recent research interests have focused on the ecological effects of environmental change. Over his extensive career, he has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on approximately $40 million in grants and cooperative agreements. In addition, his research has been cited approximately 3,000 times.
“Dr. Coleman has a deep appreciation of and support for the full breadth of the humanities and sciences and a value for research and discovery at every academic level,” said Beverly J. Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. “He is passionate about VCU’s legacy of transforming lives through the opportunity to pursue a college degree. We are thrilled to welcome him to the VCU family.”
Coleman received his undergraduate degree in forestry from the University of Maine and his graduate degrees from Yale University. He did his post-doctoral work at Stanford University and Harvard University.
"I look forward to supporting and building on the strengths of the college's faculty to provide an engaging, intellectually rigorous, diverse and inquiry-based education that opens the minds of students to opportunities for their lives that they perhaps never imagined," Coleman said. “I also envision fully engaging our alumni to inspire, act as role models and help guide our students in discovering their potential.”
Fred Hawkridge, Ph.D., has been serving as interim dean since 2008. He will retire later this year after a 35-year career at VCU.
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