Bischof and Byrd-Jacobs to present in quest for honors college deanship

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Two internal candidates are in the running to become the next dean of the Lee Honors College, and both will make public presentations on campus in the coming week.

• Dr. Christine Byrd-Jacobs, associate dean of the Graduate College, will present at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, in the honors college lounge.
• Dr. Gary Bischof, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, will present at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, also in the honors college lounge.

Both presentations will be followed by receptions for those attending.

The successful candidate for the dean position will replace Dr. Carla Koretsky, who left the honors college to assume the role of dean of WMU's College of Arts and Sciences on July 1. Since then, Professor of Dance Jane Baas has served as interim dean of the honors college.

The candidates' curricula vitae are available at wmich.edu/provost/administrative-searches.

Gary Bischof

Bischof, a WMU faculty member since 1999, also is a professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology. He has led the family and consumer sciences department since 2012, first as interim chair and, starting in 2014, as chair. His background includes clinical and research experience and publication in a number of counseling and family therapy journals. He has been the advisor and doctoral committee chair for 11 successful doctoral candidates in counselor education. He also has served as doctoral committee member for a number of other counselor education and counseling psychology students. Bischof eared a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Bethany College, and master's and doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy from Virginia Tech and Purdue universities, respectively.

Christine Byrd-Jacobs

Byrd-Jacobs, a WMU faculty member since 1996, is a molecular and cellular biologist and professor of biological sciences. She has served as associate dean of the Graduate College since 2014, and before that was graduate program advisor for the Department of Biological Sciences. Her background includes extensive research in the area of the olfactory senses and neuroscience as well as publication in a number of refereed professional journals. She has been the major advisor for four doctoral candidates as well as theses advisor for a number of master's and undergraduate students. Byrd earned a bachelor's degree in biology and premedicine from Avila College and a doctoral degree from the University of Arizona. She also was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Virginia.

About the Lee Honors College

In operation for 54 years this fall, the Lee Honors College is one of America's oldest and most highly regarded collegiate honors programs, with a student profile rivaling that of the most elite private colleges in the United States.

It serves as academic home to nearly 1,800 talented and highly motivated members, or nearly 8 percent of the University's undergraduate student body. These students come from around the nation and are enrolled in disciplines across the campus.

For more information on the Lee Honors College, visit wmich.edu/honors.

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