New deans bring fresh approaches to technology, music Since arriving in July 2011, Dr. Faris Malhas, dean of the College of Technology, and Dr. Jeffrey Showell, dean of the College of Musical Arts, have kept up a demanding pace. A structural engineer by training whose best-selling textbook is going into its sixth edition, Malhas is working with College of Technology faculty to begin the process of strategic planning, reconfiguring programs and expanding outreach to develop the college’s potential. “We want to collaborate with the community colleges to allow for seamless transfer of students to our programs, and develop better collaboration with BGSU Firelands,” Malhas said. The Department of Architecture and Environmental Design will soon begin offering a graduate program, paving the way for it to receive National Architectural Accrediting Board accreditation. Architecture students who graduate in May could be graduates of an accredited program. In addition, “if all goes according to plan, this year’s engineering technology juniors will be graduates of an accredited program, which is very important for the credibility of the programs and to the careers of our students,” Malhas said. He also pointed out that visual communication technology is developing a graduate program in cross-media technology, and the construction management program is poised for more enrollment.
Top left: As dean of the College of Technology, Dr. Faris Malhas is working with faculty to further develop the college’s potential. Top right: As dean of the College of Musical Arts, Dr. Jeffrey Showell is working to find the resources and support needed for the college’s faculty and students to flourish.
Showell is focusing on raising the visibility of the College of Musical Arts, which he describes as “a jewel.” “It has rather amazing qualities,” he said. “I know of no other music college in academia that has such a strong undergraduate music education program along with such high performance standards and a doctoral program in contemporary music. The challenge is representing all of those.” Already he has achieved a major objective of that goal — arranging with National Public Radio to produce a series of 13, hour-long, nationally syndicated programs highlighting aspects of the college’s inner workings, from the music education program to interviews with faculty to performances — “the end result,” as Showell said. Hosting will be Jennifer Higdon ’86, a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer. Funding for the series comes from Dorothy ’62, ’69 and DuWayne Hansen, longtime benefactors of the college. “The stars were aligned to make this happen. We couldn’t have done it without WGTE-FM’s Brad Creswell, who is producing the series, and The Wolfe Center for the Arts,” Showell said. “Before that, there wasn’t a place on campus suitable for recording.” He is also looking forward to the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music’s next New Music Festival, which, under the direction of oboist Jackie Leclair (who is “something of a creative organizing genius,” he said), will incorporate art along with an ecological theme, “broadening the festival’s appeal.” “All these things happen because of someone’s hard work,” Showell said. “My challenge is helping find the resources and support to enable them to flourish.”
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