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Search committee named for law school dean search
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
The national search for a dean for the UB Law School has begun with the appointment of a search committee that includes representatives from the Law School faculty and student body, as well as from the Western New York legal community and judiciary.
The search is seeking a successor to R. Nils Olsen Jr., who announced last month that he is stepping down in December as dean to attend to personal and family health issues. Olsen, who has served since 1998 as the 18th dean of the law school, will return to the faculty to continue his teaching and research after taking a six-month leave of absence in 2008.
Guyora Binder, UB Distinguished Professor in the Law School, will serve as chair of the committee. The committee held its inaugural meeting this week, said Satish K. Tripathi, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, who announced the appointment of the search committee.
Other members of the committee are Dennis Black, J.D. '81, vice president for student affairs; Lynn Mather, professor of law and political science and director of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy in the UB Law School; Makau Mutua, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Law School; Bob Granfield, professor, Department of Sociology, College of Arts and Science; David Engel, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Law School; Rebecca French, professor and Roger and Karen Jones Faculty Scholar, Law School.
Also, Martha McCluskey, professor and William J. Magavern Faculty Scholar, Law School; Melinda Saran, vice dean for student affairs, Law School; Harvey Stenger Jr., professor and dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Shannon Elwell, UB law student; the Hon. Jeannette E. Ogden, J.D. '83, Buffalo City Court judge; Dennis McCoy, J.D. 77, partner, Hiscock and Barclay LLP; and Thomas Black, J.D. 79, chair of the Law School Dean's Advisory Council.
"Under the leadership of Professor Binder and with the support of the committee membership, I have every confidence our search for the next dean of the Law School will be a great success," Tripathi said.
He noted that a Web site for the law school dean search is being developed, and updates of the search will be posted on the site once it is launched.