University of New Mexico Provost James Holloway has announced three finalists to visit campus for the position of dean at the College of Arts and Sciences. The finalists include Alfred Lopez, Jennifer Malat, and Thomas Mote. Each candidate will hold forums for staff, faculty and an open presentation, which will be open all.
A short bio and information for the open presentation forum for each candidate is listed below.
Alfred J. López
Alfred J. López is professor and head of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, director of Global Studies, and director of Latin American and Latino Studies at Purdue University. He also currently serves as interim head of English. He is the author of six books, including José Martí: A Revolutionary Life (U Texas P, 2014), the definitive biography of Cuba’s greatest national hero. His essays have appeared in American Literature, Comparative Literature, Cuban Studies, South Atlantic Quarterly, Modern Fiction Studies, and the Huffington Post, among many other journals and periodicals. López was also the founding editor of The Global South (Indiana UP 2007- ), the leading journal of globalization and global South studies. He is a first-generation college student and the son of Cuban immigrants.
Campus Visit
Monday-Tuesday, May 1-2
Open Presentation
Monday, May 1 at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building, Acoma A&B
Jennifer Malat
Jennifer Malat is associate vice president of Development and professor of Sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University. In July 2020, Malat moved to Virginia Commonwealth University to serve as the dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. In that role, she successfully guided the college through the first two years of the pandemic and prioritized improved equity for students, faculty, and staff. In July of 2022, Malat began applying her experience and expertise as associate vice president for Development at VCU. In this role, she works with senior leaders and key staff to develop a framework that ensures that the next comprehensive campaign reflects the university’s commitment to equity and inclusion.
Campus Visit
Wednesday-Thursday, May 3-4
Open Presentation
Wednesday, May 3 at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building, Fiesta A&B
Thomas Mote
Thomas Mote is the associate dean of the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Georgia. There, he is the primary liaison with the division of physical and mathematical sciences, which includes the departments of chemistry, computer sciences, geology, mathematics, physics and astronomy, and statistics. Mote is a scholar in climate science with research interests in the areas of climate variability and climate change represented in large-scale atmospheric circulation. His research takes him to locations around the globe, from the Arctic to the tropics. He is most noted for his work involving the impacts of climate change on the Greenland ice sheet. Mote is a member of the geography department where he served as the department head from 2011- 2016. He is also a member of the program in atmospheric sciences where he served as the founding director until 2011.
Campus Visit
Tuesday-Wednesday, May 9-10
Open Presentation
Tuesday, May 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building, Fiesta A&B
CV - BIO
For more information including faculty and staff forums, visit the Executive Search website.