Toward the end of their five-year contract period, all UW–Madison deans undergo a comprehensive review to assess their academic and administrative leadership and performance. The reviews include interviews with faculty, staff and students, and with external stakeholders.
A committee appointed last fall by Provost Karl Scholz recently concluded the review process of Dean Paul Robbins. Robbins has received feedback on the results of the review and has agreed to another five-year term as dean of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.
“Serving in this position is a tremendous honor. It’s also a chance to take the incredible things that the faculty, staff, and students have achieved here at Nelson in the last decade and send them into joyful overdrive for the next five years. This campus is poised to serve more diverse publics, solve more environmental problems, attract more friends, donors and grants, and support more parts of our own campus. I’m hugely excited,” said Nelson Institute Dean, Paul Robbins.
Robbins, a UW–Madison alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, also has a master’s and doctorate in geography from Clark University. He became director of the Nelson Institute in 2012 and dean in 2017.
Three other deans also completed reviews and accepted renewal of their appointments. They are: School of Medicine and Public Health Dean Robert Golden, School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark Markel, and School of Human Ecology Dean Soyeon Shim.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Provost Karl Scholz expressed their appreciation to the chairs and members of the four dean review teams and to all who contributed their input to the reviews of these outstanding academic leaders.