Bruce W. Lagay, dean of Syracuse University's College of Human Services and Health Professions (HSHP), has announced his retirement effective July 29, 2005.
"I have spent 40 years in higher education, 19 of them in administration," Lagay says. "Being dean of HSHP has been a most rewarding experience and a great finale to my career. And while leaving is difficult, it is made easier by my confidence in the sound future of the college."
Lagay came to Syracuse in 1998 to become associate dean of the School of Social Work and later served as interim dean. When the school became part of HSHP in July 2001, Lagay was named director of the school. He was named HSHP dean in July 2002.
Under his leadership, HSHP has seen increases in enrollment, charitable giving and sponsored research; the establishment of a new program in sport management; significant progress toward the establishment of a new program in health and wellness; and focused scholarship in several key areas.
"Bruce Lagay has done a wonderful job in running a new and exciting college. The initiatives undertaken during his tenure as dean have made an important contribution to our program offerings at SU and to our future," says Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund. "I will miss him very much, and I urged him to stay. But I have spent a considerable amount of time in Australia myself, and I truly understand why he and [his wife] Helen would choose to go there in their retirement. I hope he stays in touch, and I know the College of Human Services and Health Professions will move forward because of the continuous wisdom he has provided over the last several years."
Freund will name a new dean within the next few weeks.
Lagay is recognized for his published research on the measurement of work and competency in social work; evaluation methodology; and program effectiveness studies in juvenile justice, mental health and family life. He has taught courses in policy, planning, research and administration. His current interests are in international social welfare and interprofessional education and practice.
He was a member of the Rutgers University faculty from 1972-86 and served as associate dean of the Graduate School of Social Work from 1981-86. From 1987-98, he was a member of the faculty at the University of Melbourne in Australia, where he served as head of the School of Social Work from 1993-95.
Lagay's wife, Helen Murray, came to SU in 1999 as director of the Syracuse University Internship Program (SUIP). During her tenure, SUIP continued to work with SU's schools and colleges in the development and management of elective academic internships; streamlined its administrative processes; and made a successful transition from paper-based to a largely electronic operation. Murray also works with SU's Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA), serving as a consultant on internships and service learning at the division's overseas centers.
