University of Chicago professor picked to head COAS

IU officials announced Friday that Bennett Bertenthal, a professor of psychology and computational neuroscience at the University of Chicago, will take over as the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.\nBertenthal has been a member of the University of Chicago faculty for almost six years, researching the perceptual, motor and cognitive development of the brain, according to an IU press release. He is also a former assistant director of the National Science Foundation.\n"Dr. Bertenthal brings a very impressive record of academic and leadership achievement to Indiana University," said IU President Adam Herbert in a statement. "His impressive experience in fostering faculty collaboration and leading multi-disciplinary research initiatives will be especially valuable as we expand the IU research enterprise."\nBertenthal said he looks forward to helping IU grow as a research institution. \n"IU has begun initiating a very ambitious plan to enhance its research and educational opportunities," he said in an e-mail. "I am especially excited about the life sciences initiative, which will help to make IU one of the leading centers in the country for research in the life sciences. As an administrator, I have tried to provide bold and visionary leadership, and I look forward to working with the faculty and other administrators to make this a time of unprecedented growth for the University."\nIn January, Herbert said he hoped to have the COAS dean position filled by May 15, \naccording to a Feb. 2 Indiana Daily Student article. In early May, Bertenthal was named one of three finalists for the position, and the deadline was moved to mid-June. June came and went without any more word on the next head of COAS. \nBoard of trustees President Stephen Ferguson said both Bertenthal and the University had to be satisfied with the new COAS dean. \n"We knew who was involved and how the negotiations were preceding," Ferguson said. "This is a big decision. We knew (Bertenthal) had to satisfy himself that this is what he wanted to do. ... The dean of COAS is a very important position, but (we) think this is something everyone will be pleased with." \nThough Bertenthal said it was still too early to discuss his exact plans for the school, he said he was impressed by IU and Bloomington when he visited this summer.\n"My wife and I were both impressed by the warmth and collegiality of the faculty and the town," he said. "We visited a few times during the summer and always felt that Bloomington would be a very easy place to fit in." \nBertenthal's appointment will be confirmed by the board of trustees at its Sept. 22 meeting in Bloomington and he will officially begin his new role Jan. 1, 2007.\nKumble Subbaswamy vacated the COAS dean position earlier this year to become provost at the University of Kentucky after being passed over for the IU-Bloomington chancellor job. Professor of sociology David Zaret is currently acting as interim COAS dean.