The College of Applied Science and Technology’s Dean Search Committee is finishing its search for a new dean, and has informed the Academic Senate that the dean will be appointed by May 30th. The committee named five finalists:

Valentine James is the dean of the graduate school at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina. He earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M with a major in Urban and Regional Planning, and wrote his dissertation on “Attractiveness of New Towns to Industries and Workers: A Comparative Study of the Midwest and Sunbelt New Communities in the USA.”

Carol Richardson is currently the acting dean of CAST. She earned a master’s degree from Union College, majoring in Electrical Engineering. Before coming to RIT in 1978, she worked for General Electric on instruments for nuclear submarines.

H. Fred Walker is the chair of the technology department at the University of Southern Maine. He earned his Ph.D. with honors from the University of Iowa in 1995, with a degree emphasis in Workforce Development with Automated Manufacturing Systems. Walker also has master’s degrees in Business Administration and System Administration. Walker has written nine books on quality control and the Six Sigma business strategy, and is under contract for five more.

Mulchand Rathod is the chair of the division of Engineering Technology at Wayne State University in Michigan. Rathod helped to create distance learning programs for Wayne State, as well as on-site degree programs at General Motors and Chrysler. Rathod is also a licensed engineer in three states, and was registered in four others.

James Meyers is the director of the Center for Multi-Disciplinary Studies at RIT. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University with a focus on Natural Resource Economics. Meyers is also an RIT alumnus, earning his bachelor’s degree in Food and Hotel Management and his master’s in Packaging Science.