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Change of scenery
No longer an academic department chair, Mike Whiteford takes on bigger responsibilities in LAS
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For almost 20 years,
Mike Whiteford has led the Department of Anthropology.
First as the professor
in charge for the anthropology program when the discipline was included
in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Then as chair of the
newly formed academic department beginning in 1991. In fact he has been
the only chair the Department of Anthropology has ever known.
That is until the
start of the fall semester when Whiteford was named the associate dean
of administration for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Whiteford describes
his decision to leave the department he helped build as a tough call.
"It was a difficult
choice," he said. "I was really pleased at where the department
was at."
During the last academic
year, Whiteford and anthropology faculty held discussions on the department's
strategic plan. "
We had excellent
conversations last year," he said, "particularly in regards
to the curriculum and the development of speciality tracks at the graduate
level. We were also very excited about our relationship with the new interdepartmental
sustainable agriculture program. I really think the department is heading
in the right direction."
The opportunity
to work on a greater scale than the Department of Anthropology allowed
was in the end too great of a challenge for Whiteford to pass up. In his
new role as LAS associate dean of administration, Whiteford will deal
with general administration, planning, budget, space and facilities within
the College.
"I have long
been interested in the role that the College plays with the various academic
departments," he said.
Whiteford thinks
his years of experience, as a department chair will serve him well in
his new job. As will his membership on a variety of LAS and Iowa State
committees he has served on or chaired since he became a faculty member
in 1972.
He also feels that
his academic discipline has already given him a global view of the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences since the Department of Anthropology offers
courses in a variety of disciplines throughout LAS and Iowa State.
"We're used
to dealing with faculty in the hard sciences, humanities, social sciences
and communication studies," Whiteford said. "Anthropology faculty
are natural allies with people in numerous disciplines outside of our
own.
"As an academic
department chair, I have spent a lot of time talking to deans and associate
deans on a variety of issues," he continued. "I always enjoyed
that, but I'm sure that I'll find the planning process more exciting on
the College level."
Whiteford's research
interests focus on alternative curing practices and health-care decision-making
processes. His geographic area of specialty is Latin America and he has
worked in Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.
He is co-author
(with John Friedl) of an introductory anthropology textbook, The Human
Portrait. He recently edited Crossing Current: Continuity and Change
in Latin America, a volume published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. For the
past seven years, Whiteford has served as editor of the quarterly Newsletter
published by the Society for Applied Anthropology.
Around LAS
September 24-30, 2001
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