Acting Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering Charles Hutchinson is having no problems adjusting to his temporary role, but the search for his replacement will begin soon, according to College Provost James Wright.
Engineering Professor Charles Hutchinson took over as acting dean after former Dean Elsa Garmire announced her resignation to the faculty at the beginning of Summer term. Garmire said she was stepping down as dean to concentrate on research and teaching.
Hutchinson served as the tenth dean of the Thayer School from 1984 to 1994.
Although Garmire was intended to be his permanent replacement, a new dean will now have to be brought in from outside the College.
Hutchinson said becoming the Thayer School's temporary dean was "not quite what I planned to do this year," but he has had no trouble readjusting to the role.
Hutchinson said his 10-year career as dean of the Thayer School was a "good experience" and that this summer is going well.
Garmire said she has spent this summer doing research and working on a book she is editing. She said she also is writing a chapter of the book, which is about nonlinear optics in semiconductors.
College Provost James Wright said the search for a new dean will begin in earnest Fall term, when a selection committee will interview prospective deans. He said he does not anticipate finding a replacement before next Spring term at the earliest.
After Hutchinson's departure, the College conducted a two-year search before finding Garmire. However, Wright said, the search for another replacement will not take as long.
Wright said Hutchinson was selected from a pool of available qualified candidates, but the search for a new dean will proceed differently. He said he will hold a meeting to create a search committee for the new dean.
This committee will then conduct a search for the dean by interviewing prospective deans and narrowing down the pool of applicants until a replacement is found.
Garmire said her participation on the parallel search committee for a dean of the Medical School has found "Dartmouth is an attractive place to come to."
Both Hutchinson and Wright said they anticipate no problems in finding a new dean for the Thayer School.
