The University has named Dan Friedman the new director of University 101 programs.

Friedman succeeds Dan Berman, who served as director from 1999 until his recent retirement. Friedman will begin in June.

Friedman is a faculty member in the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies at Appalachian State University. He was director of Appalachian State's freshman seminar and summer preview programs from 2004 to 2007.

Dan Friedman brings a wealth of knowledge to the University following the great work he's done at Appalachian State," said Mary Stuart Hunter, assistant vice provost for University 101 and the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience. "We're extremely excited about the direction the University 101 programs can take under his leadership."

Friedman earned a bachelor's degree in history and education specialist degree in higher education administration from Appalachian State. He earned a doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Virginia.

"It is an honor to be able to work with the most prestigious and well respected first-year program in the country," Friedman said.

For more than 30 years, the University 101 first-year seminar has helped students make successful transitions into and through the University. The pioneering course, which spurred an international movement to improve the first-year experience, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a "program to look for."

University 101 programs also include upper-level courses for students interested in conducting research, for students who live in residential colleges, and for students preparing for graduate or professional schools

For more information, contact Rico Reed, National Resource Center, at 7-6225 or rico@sc.edu.

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