There will be a changing of the guard at the MSU College of Social Science.
Marietta Baba is expected to be named the new dean of the College of Social Science at the MSU Board of Trustees meeting Friday.
Baba, professor and chairperson of the Department of Anthropology at Wayne State University, will also become a tenured professor in the MSU Department of Anthropology. The appointment will take effect Aug. 1.
“I thought it would be very interesting and compelling to be dean,” Baba said. “It is an excellent college. So far I have been going around and meeting different directors and chairs. People have been very helpful in teaching me background (information).”
A search committee comprised of representatives from every unit of the college and two students chose Baba for a number of reasons.
“She has a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” said Lynne Goldstein, head of the search committee and chairperson of the Department of Anthropology. “Also, the fact that she is well-respected within the discipline and has experience in business (helped).
“Someone who has understanding of the disciplines and professional aspects of the schools is hard to find. It’s part of what made her so appealing.”
The College of Social Science has many disciplines, including criminal justice, social work and political science. Despite the size of the college, which has more than 4,600 students, a fixed dean has been absent for some time.
Goldstein said the college has not had a permanent dean for two years. Acting deans have been in place, but Goldstein said it’s important to have someone in the position permanently.
“As good as the deans have been, they’re acting deans,” Goldstein said. “They have been quite good, but now we can see transition. It’s exciting.”
MSU Trustee David Porteous said the Board of Trustees is generally supportive of Provost Lou Anna Simon’s recommendations for filling positions. He also said timeliness is important in filling positions.
“We always strive to get people in a permanent administrative position,” Porteous said. “The ultimate goal is to try to get positions filled as soon as the university is able to.”
While Baba currently teaches at Wayne State, she does have ties to MSU. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from MSU, in addition to her doctorate in anthropology from Wayne State.
“I had a very good feeling about MSU and my experience there,” Baba said. “I had great fun and never wanted it to end. I was excited about joining them in a different capacity.
“I’m really looking forward to joining you. I’ll be making my third visit. The campus is just beautiful. It will be a very exciting time.”
State News staff writer Shannon Murphy contributed to this report.
