Article published August 14, 2008
UT college of arts gets interim boss
By MEGHAN GILBERT
BLADE STAFF WRITER
A prominent chemist and University of Toledo alumna has been named interim dean of the college of arts and sciences.
Nina McClelland, a Toledo native, has accepted a one-year appointment to lead the college until the selection of a permanent replacement for Yueh-Ting Lee, who announced his resignation last month, the university announced yesterday.
Ms. McClelland, 78, received her bachelor's and master's degrees from UT in 1951 and 1963, respectively, and has remained active with the university as an adjunct chemistry professor.
In the past year, she served as chairman of the dean's advisory board.
"I am a real advocate for the University of Toledo," she said. "I think it's a neat institution, and I got a superb education as an undergraduate that prepared me for what was ahead."
Ms. McClelland will begin her duties on Sept. 19, the effective date of Dean Lee's resignation, and will be paid $175,000.Mr. Lee will remain at UT in the new human-resources department position of associate vice president for analysis and assessment.
Ms. McClelland had a career of more than 30 years with NSF International, a nonprofit group that certifies products and writes standards for food, water, and other consumer goods.
She has chaired the board of the American Chemical Society, the world's biggest scientific organization, and has run her own consulting firm since 1995.
"Dr. McClelland is a distinguished scientist and alum of this institution that knows the college of arts and sciences very well from her affiliation with it," UT Provost Rosemary Haggett said. "She's a national leader and has had a remarkably successful career and is internationally known."
Ms. McClelland takes her post at a challenging time for the college following a faculty vote of no-confidence in Dean Lee that denounced his leadership ability, and the dean's resignation three months later. An external assessment of the college is coming up this fall.
She said she is aware of the situation and hopes to help move the college forward.
"Am I concerned? No. I don't really want to look back. What's done is done," she said. "I'm interested in the future. We have a very bright future."
David Davis, the former chairman of the arts and sciences council and a political science professor, said the appointment completely shocked him.
He said he would have preferred a faculty member from within the university who would know the college more intimately.
"She has many good qualities, but I'm not sure that administering the college would be one of them," he said.
Ms. Haggett said she doesn't consider Ms. McClelland an outsider, since she knows much of the faculty and many know her.
Ms. McClelland has been a faculty member both at UT and at the University of Michigan, where she received her doctoral degree in environmental chemistry.
UT awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2003.
Contact Meghan Gilbert at:
mgilbert@theblade.com
or 419-724-6134.
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