EKU STORIES
COLLEGES REORGANIZED The College of Arts and Sciences has been split into the College of Science and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS). The College of Science, headed by Dean Dr. Tom Otieno, consists of the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geosciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Astronomy. It also houses the Division of Natural Areas.
GAME DESIGN PROGRAM RANKS 50TH IN WORLD EKU’s game design program ranks 50th internationally, according to The Princeton Review. The Review determined its rankings based on a survey it conducted in 2015 of 150 institutions offering game design coursework and/or degrees in the United States, Canada and some other countries. The company’s 40-question survey asked schools to report on everything from their academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience. Criteria included each school’s academics, facilities, career services and technology. The high international ranking “says we’ve committed to keep our program and our students competitive,” said Dr. George Landon, director of the EKU Gaming Institute. “We are serious about game design and how EKU fits into the bigger picture — both in academia and industry. EKU boasts one of the newer programs on the list. The Gaming Institute was established in 2014. “Many of these schools have been at it for over 10 years, and some are closer to 20 years,” Landon noted.
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Otieno, who joined EKU in 1995 and previously served as associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, said the new structure offers “a greater focus on EKU’s science and math programs, giving all the programs opportunities for increased prominence.” The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, headed by Dean Dr. Sara Zeigler, houses the departments of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work; Art and Design; English and Theatre; Government; History; Interdisciplinary Programs; Languages, Cultures and Humanities; Philosophy and Religion; Psychology; and the School of Music. It also includes the University’s numerous interdisciplinary programs and the academic areas of Service Learning and Education Abroad. “CLASS represents EKU’s enduring commitment to a liberal arts education as the intellectual foundation for work, life and citizenship,” said Zeigler, who joined EKU in 1997 and had previously served as dean of university programs, the functions of which were dispersed to other areas on campus. It was also announced that Dr. John Wade, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2008, intends to return to teaching economics at Eastern. During his tenure, the college launched its first doctoral program (Psy.D.), brought Phase 1 of the New Science Building online and began construction of Phase 2 of NSB. He also was instrumental in revisions of the University’s general education and developmental education programs.