The office of student engagement is kicking off the semester with a week of welcoming experiences. We recently sat down with Desmond Dunklin, director of student engagement, to learn more about Winter Week of Welcome.

Q&A

Academic Expressions: Sometimes, we think of welcome events as being for new students, but your team takes a much broader outlook.
Desmond Dunklin: Yes, Winter Week of Welcome is for everyone. We want to welcome our new Bears, our returning Bears and our faculty and staff — everyone is part of kicking off this new semester. It’s a chance to introduce — or reintroduce — everything our campus has to offer. For students who are used to attending classes and then going home, we want them to utilize our resources, whether that’s Magers Health and Wellness Center or all the wellness opportunities at Foster Recreation Center. This is a chance to connect them with student organizations and help them find community.

AE: Tell us about Cookies and Cocoa.
DD: Students have told us they really want academics-focused programming. They enjoy opportunities to build ties with their colleges and their deans. They love getting to meet professors outside the classroom. So we’ve programmed the Cookies and Cocoa Academic Fair as a chance to warm up and meet representatives from various academic units. It’s a great networking event.

AE: And a cool one for faculty to be part of.
DD: Absolutely. When faculty are present, it means so much. Right now, especially, we know students want that face-to-face interaction. It builds community. And when you encourage your students to come, it helps them get those professional networking opportunities.

“Students have told us they really want academics-focused programming… They love getting to meet professors outside the classroom.”

—Desmond Dunklin

AE: What else can people do to support Winter Week of Welcome?
DD: Please share, share, share. If your department has social media channels, please feel free to re-share posts from our social media. And if you’re a faculty member, we’d love for you to mention it to your classes.

Event Details

• What: Winter Week of Welcome
• When: January 12–15
• Where: Various locations around campus
• Event spotlight: Cookies and Cocoa Academic Fair, in the PSU Ballroom, January 13 (11 a.m.–1 p.m.)
• Complete list of events: Winter Week of Welcome website 

CNAS Dean Search

Dr. Tamera Jahnke, dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), will retire at the end of June. The search for the next CNAS dean is underway.

Dr. Shawn Wahl, dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, is serving as chair of the search committee. For complete details of the position, access the search profile.

Search Committee

• Dr. Shawn Wahl, dean of the Reynolds College (committee chair)
• Damon Bassett, senior instructor in the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability
• Dr. Yassine Belkhouche, assistant professor in the computer science department
• Dr. Natasha DeVore, associate professor the department of chemistry and biochemistry
• Dr. Debra Finn, associate professor in the biology department
• Gale Lininger, executive assistant II for the College of Natural and Applied Sciences
• Dr. Gary Michelfelder, director of the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability
• Dr. Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi, associate professor in the cooperative engineering program
• Jason Ray, director of the Center for Resource Planning and Management
• Dr. Michael Reed, distinguished professor in the department of physics, astronomy and materials science
• Dr. Patrick Sullivan, professor in the mathematics department