Faculty members will miss College of Arts and Sciences Dean Marisa Kelly, who is moving to New York in July 2011 to become provost and vice president for academic affairs at Ithaca College.

“It’s a very bittersweet move for me, and I’m going to miss a lot of people here, including all of the department chairs and a lot of other people,” Kelly said. “There’s a lot of great things happening at St. Thomas, and it’s hard to leave.”

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college on campus, and it includes a wide range of departments from biology to philosophy to theology. As dean, Kelly works with faculty and students in the various departments. Many faculty members have grown close to Kelly since her arrival in 2006, and they said they are sad to see her leave.

Economics Department Chair Agapitos Papagapitos said he has really enjoyed working with Kelly.

“She is very professional and very accessible,” he said. “She responded quickly to concerns that I brought to her attention, gave me the opportunity to state my opinion, and even when I disagreed with her decisions, I felt that she listened to what I had to say.

“I am sad to see her go, and I think that the College of Arts and Sciences chairs will miss her more so than any other group on campus,” Papagapitos said.

Tom Hickson, environmental science program director, said St. Thomas is losing a great dean.

“I’m bummed that she’s leaving,” Hickson said. “She was a great advocate for the College of Arts and Sciences and was always very fair in distributing resources.”

Physics Department Chair Marty Johnston is also “bummed.”

“Marisa is an excellent dean,” Johnston said. “She holds high standards and supports tough decisions and expects the rest of us to do likewise. Our program benefited greatly from her support, and we will miss her.”

Music Department Chair Matthew George said that it has been a pleasure to work with Kelly because of her “warm personality and a great sense of humor.”

“She certainly was able to balance serious work with levity,” George said. “Personally, I have deeply appreciated her dedication to the arts on campus. She has been a strong advocate for our department, and from her efforts, music has flourished on campus and beyond. I will miss her support.”

George added, “I wish her well in her new position at Ithaca College, my alma mater.”

Kelly’s administrative experience

Before Kelly came to St. Thomas, she was the senior associate dean at the University of the Pacific in California, where she was also associate dean and a faculty member in the political science department.

Kelly said she will be working on a strategic plan that is intended to carry Ithaca College forward for the next decade.

“As provost, I will be responsible for helping to further develop that plan and ultimately lead the implementation of that plan,” Kelly said. “It will be really exciting and I’m looking forward to that a lot.”

Yet Kelly reiterated how difficult it will be for her to leave.

“I have absolutely loved being a part of the St. Thomas community,” Kelly said. “I’m looking forward to this new opportunity, but it’s going to be very sad to leave everyone here.”

Cynthia Johnson can be reached at john3175@stthomas.edu.