The University soon will begin an internal search for the Columbia campus dean of the S.C. College of Pharmacy.

The finalist with whom the University had been negotiating turned down the position, Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health science, announced at the Faculty Senate meeting Dec. 6.

Andrew Sorensen

Mark Becker

Claudia Benitez-Nelson

Provost Becker updated searches for deans of the Graduate School and the Moore School of Business. The search committee for dean of the Graduate School has been meeting and will begin reviewing applications early in the new year. The search committee for the Moore School has been formed, and the position description is progressing.

Becker said he hopes to name a new associate provost/dean of undergraduate studies early in 2007. That person will succeed Karl Heider July 1.

In his comments, President Sorensen announced that a Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Poll did a survey of international business programs throughout the world on the graduate level and ranked USC's program No. 7 in the world. The Moore School of Business also broke into the poll's top 50 business schools for the first time, ranking No. 49.

In an article published Nov. 10, the Wall Street Journal also listed USC among eight "up and coming" universities in the country. The list included the University of California at Santa Barbara, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Sorensen also announced that Claudia Benitez-Nelson, an associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and undergraduate director of the Marine Science Program, recently received the 2006 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award from the American Geophysical Union.

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 7 in the School of Law Auditorium.

12/06