New Year, New AUC

By: Hanya Captan & Nesrien Abdelkader

@HanyaCaptan
@NesrienAshraf

AUC will be adding a number of senior administrators and faculty for the 2020/2021 academic year, among whom is the new Dean of the Libraries and Learning Technologies who joined AUC this fall.

Daniel Ortiz, newly appointed dean of LLT, has been aware of AUC as early as his college days, knowing it to be one of the main hubs of scholarly activity and learning in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East.

“AUC has remained not only competitive, but it has strived to be at the top in Egypt and in Africa, as well as globally, amidst the exponential growth of universities supported by many benefactors across neighboring countries,” Ortiz told The Caravan.

Ortiz explained that he wanted to be part of AUC to contribute to the well-established leadership role that the LLT School has a reputation for. He also wanted to expand LLT’s leadership, making it into a go-to model of best practices in the region and beyond.

Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman said that he is looking forward to working with Ortiz to adjust the library to accommodate the AUC community in these new circumstances.

“I actually found Dr. Ortiz to be a very engaged and active mentor of new faculty and staff. He comes from a background of experience with both the fiscal and personnel side of library management as well as being engaged with research,” Abdel Rahman told The Caravan.

Ortiz’s history working at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Hunter College, City University of New York, as well as the programs he implemented while there stood out to the Provost during the recruitment process.

AUC has also appointed John Meloy as the new Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences after a meticulous decision-making process.

Abdel Rahman spoke enthusiastically about Meloy as well, praising his impressive academic achievements, in addition to his exemplary record of publication in Islamic history with a specialization in the Mamluk era.

Combined with his administrative and leadership experience, Meloy proved to be the most appropriate candidate to lead the school and faculty of HUSS, Abdel Rahman added.

Meloy’s appointment followed a rigorous search by the HUSS Dean search committee, headed by Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations, Amina Elbendary.

“We expect Dr. Meloy to bring new energy and optimism to the HUSS school, and propel some of the many initiatives in the different departments further and introduce new ones. Dr. Meloy also comes with experience, which we trust will bring stability and confidence to the school,” Elbendary said.

She explained that Meloy is known as a well-published and respected academic with extensive historical knowledge.

“We were also looking for someone with a vision, someone who sees the school of HUSS as a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts and recognizes its unique different parts; who can both speak the language of humanists and artists; who understands social sciences and psychology but can also converse with philosophers,” Elbendary said.

Meloy will be taking over for Dean Zeinab Taha, who was appointed interim Dean one year ago. Taha will continue to hold the position until Meloy’s arrival.

Meanwhile, AUC’s Board of Trustees has already started searching for President Francis Ricciardone’s successor.

In his year-end message to the AUC community last spring, Ricciardone announced his retirement at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I write also to share with you that I have informed the Board of Trustees of my decision to retire at the end of the coming academic year, while reassuring them of my resolve to stay on to lead AUC through the year ahead,” said Ricciardone.

Ricciardone discussed how the uncertainties brought on by the coronavirus have affected his family, with their international isolation from one another being deeply felt.

He began his term as AUC president in 2016 and served as the 12th president of AUC.

“The selection of a new president provides AUC an opportunity for introspection and invigoration,” said Richard Bartlett, chair of the Board.

The search committee created by the Board consists of five senior faculty members and ten trustees.

“Our goal is to be as deliberate, inclusive and thoughtful as possible in our search process. Our aspiration is to identify outstanding candidates who will build on AUC’s long history of academic excellence and lead AUC’s next phase of growth, innovation and impact,” Search Committee Co-Chair AUC Trustee Kristin Lord said.