Chris Culbertson is the dean. He was selected to fill the position permanently in May, having served as interim dean for a year. Before that, he was associate dean for research for three years. He’s been at K-State for 21 years and hails from the chemistry department, where he was a member of the analytical division and served as lead advisor for 10 years. His research is focused on developing devices for the early diagnosis of diseases, especially cancers. He collaborates with other researchers to overcome biomolecule separation, detection and quantitation challenges in complex biological matrices.
Scott Tanona is the associate dean for academic affairs. He has served in this role since June 2020. He is also an associate professor of philosophy, specializing in the history and philosophy of physics, science in society, and ethics and values in science.
Kimathi Choma is the assistant dean for diversity, recruitment and retention, a position he’s held since 2016, after serving as interim dean for a year and a half. Before that, he was in K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he served as director of undergraduate public health programs and as the experience facilitator for the Master of Public Health program.
Melinda Cro is the assistant dean for student success and engagement. She’s been in that role since June 2022. She is also a professor of French and Italian in the modern languages department. She started as a French Language Program coordinator in 2010 and has served as director of graduate studies and department head. She teaches courses from beginner language and culture to advanced undergraduate and graduate seminars in early modern studies (1500-1800), pedagogy, and digital humanities.
Ben Stark was appointed interim assistant dean for research and facilities in March 2023. He is a professor of theatre and associate director of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. He is the technical director for theatre and he advises the school’s marketing and management efforts. He teaches classes in technical design and professional development.
My niece recently got a technical theatre degree from a college out East that is known for not just designing stage settings, but also for movie sets, and other creative endeavors. Holly landed a job for a design company in Orlando, FL, creating artwork, unique designs, and a huge variety of pieces that are being used at Disneyworld and the other entertainment industries there. So help your students think outside of the box and investigate not only being a tech director, which can be extremely fun, but also know that there are other tech theatre jobs creating designs for other venues.
Great insight! Thanks for sharing!