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Pitt Names New Dean of the School of Information Sciences |
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 PITTSBURGH—Ronald
L. Larsen has been named dean of the University of Pittsburgh
School of Information Sciences (SIS), effective July
1, 2002. Larsen is leaving his post as executive
director of the Maryland Applied Information Technology
Initiative, where he directs the activities of a consortium
of 10 Maryland universities. He replaces Toni Carbo, who
is stepping down after serving as SIS dean for 17 years
and is returning to research and teaching as a professor
in SIS and Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International
Affairs.
During his distinguished career, Larsen has provided regional and national leadership in information technology, distance education, and digital library initiatives. In his current position, he also serves as the deputy director of the Maryland Information and Network Dynamics Lab, a component laboratory of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, and as an affiliate associate professor of computer science at the University of Maryland. He has conceived and implemented several major information management and digital library research programs at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the research and development organization for the Department of Defense. In announcing the appointment, Pitt Provost James V. Maher said, “Dr. Larsen’s talent, energy, and integrity, along with his national prominence in his field, make him eminently qualified to build on the strengths and priorities of the School of Information Sciences. I have great confidence that Dr. Larsen will provide the dynamic academic, organizational, and research leadership needed to make our School of Information Sciences programs as strong as they can possibly become.” Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg noted, “Dr. Larsen’s career has been characterized by high achievement and innovative thinking and includes a wealth of direct relevant experi-ence in information technology and library science. “The stature of our School of Information Sciences has grown substantially during Dr. Carbo’s service as dean,” Chancellor Nordenberg continued, “and we know that Dr. Larsen’s future efforts will be one of the keys to sustaining that momentum.” Larsen earned the Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences at Purdue University, the Master of Science degree in applied physics at The Catholic University of America, and the Ph.D. degree in computer science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Pitt’s School of Information Sciences is widely recognized for its Master of Science in Telecommunications program, its telecommunications track in the Ph.D. program, and its Master of Library and Information Science program, which ranks among the top three in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. |
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