Gajanan, Fass newly elected chairs of academic divisions

Pitt-Bradford’s five academic divisions have elected division chairs for a term of four years that will begin July 1.

Dr. Shailendra Gajanan, associate professor of economics, was elected chair of the Division of Management and Education, succeeding Lizbeth Matz, associate professor of business management, who has served eight years. Under Matz’s leadership, Pitt-Bradford launched several new majors in the division: accounting, computer information systems and technology, early level education preK-4, health and physical education K-12, hospitality management and several secondary education majors.

“I am extremely grateful to Betsy for her excellent leadership over the past eight years,” said Dr. Steven Hardin, vice president and dean of academic affairs. “She has successfully directed an academic division that has consistently been one of the largest and most dynamic units on campus.”

New division chair Gajanan has been teaching at Pitt-Bradford since 1992 and has research interests in water rights in India as well as cost-benefit analysis of immunization programs. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Warren Fass, associate professor of psychology, has already taken over the reins as chair of the Division of Behavioral and Health Sciences from Dr. Stephen Robar, associate professor of political science, who was named associate dean of academic affairs last year.

Fass also serves as director of the psychology program and teaches courses in statistics, experimental psychology, human memory, human learning, child development and assessment. He holds a doctorate in experimental psychology from Ohio University.

Chairs of the university’s three other academic divisions were re-elected to four-year terms:Dr. Mary Mulcahy, associate professor of biology, Division of Biological and Health Sciences; Jeff Guterman, associate professor of communications, Division of Communication and the Arts; and Dr. Yong-Zhuo Chen, professor of mathematics, Division of Physical and Computational Sciences.

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