The search committee for the dean of the School of the Coast and Environment is compiling information about the final candidates after they visited campus for a two-day, on-campus interview process.Denis Wiesenburg and Christopher D’Elia were brought to campus last week to meet with administration, students, faculty and staff. The visit gave each candidate a chance to interact with students and faculty and to familiarize themselves with campus and the School of the Coast and Environment.The search committee is assembling input from faculty, staff and students, said John Paidue, civil and environmental engineering professor and chairman of the search committee. In the next few weeks, the committee will present the information to Provost Astrid Merget, who will consult with Chancellor Michael Martin before a final decision is made.D’Elia is an environmental science and policy and marine science professor at the University of South Florida. He is also the regional associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, research and graduate studies, as well as the director of the International Ocean Institute, USA. He has held several teaching and administrative positions at multiple universities.D’Elia said he was impressed by the students and faculty, whom he called “extremely well-known.”  “It’s a wonderful school in terms of education,” D’Elia said. “The new facilities are beautiful — the labs, the classrooms, the office space. The people … are great, and the hospitality was exceptional.”Wiesenburg is the dean of the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and professor of marine science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has held research, teaching and administrative positions at various universities.Wiesenburg said the School of the Coast and Environment is a great school that could move forward with strong leadership. He said the University has a vibrant campus with highly devoted students.  “It was an intense process,” Wiesenburg said. “It takes a lot of endurance to be a dean. The design was to test endurance with intense drilling.”Wiesenburg said he had a great visit and complimented the people, atmosphere and food of Baton Rouge. “They each have interesting but somewhat different views,” said Don Baltz, chairman of the Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and search committee member. “Those sorts of things we have to hash out and let the provost know.”Baltz said both candidates have the background needed to move the school forward.”The faculty and staff recognize that we have two great candidates, and we have gotten nothing other than a positive response,” Paidue said.”Both candidates would make great deans,” Paidue said. “We are excited about choosing one to lead our school forward.”- – – –
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