Three New Department Chairs Began this Fall
The College of Sciences and Arts has welcomed three new department chairs who are beginning their careers at Michigan Tech this fall. Cary Chabalowski joins the Department of Chemistry as chair and professor of practice. Anne Beffel is chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and Chandrashekhar Joshi chairs the Department of Biological Sciences.
Beffel joins Michigan Tech from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, where she has taught since 2000. She defines herself as a “time artist” which she says means that she is deeply interested in connecting art and social context in time, using all forms and media. She replaces Roger Held, who is completing seven years as chair of VPA.
Beffel says, “As our jazz musician Associate Professor Mike Irish says, ‘Art is everywhere.’ Everything and anything we do can be approached with creativity. Each moment we spend perceiving or responding to our world is a creative act. VPA is here to help students hone their abilities to be creative in all situations.
“Amazing faculty, staff and students—this is what struck me when I first visited Tech. Creativity abounds in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Passion, enthusiasm and humor infuse the disciplines of music, sound, theater and visual art. The projects faculty lead, such as Assistant Professor Jared Anderson’s summer concert tour of the Balkans for students, faculty, staff and the community beyond Michigan Tech, offer a unique series of creative experiences grounded in both breadth of subject and depth of technical expertise.”
Read more at Tech Today.