Beginning Jan. 1, Ben Ware, Syracuse University's vice president for research, will become dean of the Graduate School. Ware succeeds John Mercer, who is stepping down after serving six years as Graduate School dean. Ware will retain his position as vice president for research.
"Ben Ware is the right person to assure that graduate education benefits optimally from synergies with the many research initiatives that are part of the Creative Campus vision," says Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund. "I am charging him to examine alternate models for the Graduate School in cooperation with the many stakeholders on campus, and I look forward to the advances that will arise from those deliberations."
As dean of the Graduate School, Ware will implement a number of critical improvements, including better integration between the Office of Research and the Graduate School. Among other benefits, this will help graduate students more effectively secure grants for sponsored research by giving them opportunities early in their careers to work with research faculty to develop grant-writing skills.
Ware also will work to ensure that the research skills of Syracuse University graduate students are competitive with those of their peers at the nation's top-ranked research institutions. This will be accomplished in part through enhanced program review, to be funded by the Office of Academic Affairs.
In addition, under Ware's guidance, the Graduate School will continue to be a place where graduate students share new ideas related to their studies and discuss ways to improve graduate education at Syracuse University.
"Research and graduate education are natural partners, and I accept this assignment with enthusiasm," says Ware. "In consultation with colleagues from across campus, we will examine how we can improve the learning environment for graduate students and for the faculty members who teach and mentor them. I welcome suggestions and participation from all who are willing to contribute."
Ware adds that bringing the Office of Research and the Graduate School closer together will better enable the use of graduate fellowships and other resources to support the multidisciplinary initiatives that are central to the Creative Campus vision. "I'm very familiar with these initiatives, and I'm very eager to see how the Graduate School can support these initiatives and how graduate student education will benefit from being a part of these priority issues," he says.
Ware says he plans to complete his review and prioritize his findings regarding alternate Graduate School models over the next semester. Proposed organizational changes will be presented to Vice Chancellor Freund by summer.
