O'Donnell named Hill's Faculty Master

Former Van Pelt faculty fellow to carry onFormer Van Pelt faculty fellow to carry onRobert Lucid's tradition of excellence James O'Donnell, a faculty fellow in Van Pelt College House, will serve as the new Faculty Master of Hill College House, according to Chris Dennis, Director of Academic Programs in Residence. O'Donnell, the current interim Vice Provost for Information Systems and Computing, will assume the new position on July 1. O'Donnell said he is thrilled with the new appointment "I have a long and hidden history [with programs such as this] dating back to my freshman year at Princeton when I helped found one," he said. "I'm very faltered, pleased and excited." O'Donnell said the appointment at Van Pent House was what initially involved him in the College House Program at Penn. Dennis said he feels O'Donnell will "carry on the tradition of a strong and caring leadership and faculty involvement at Hill, and is especially well-placed to ready Hill College House for the 21st Century." O'Donnell was recommended for the position by a joint faculty, staff and student nominating committee, chaired by Jan Van der Spiegel, Faculty Master of Ware College House. Hill House's acting Assistant Dean, Tracy Feld, said the position is a "provostial" one. "O'Donnell had to be approved and appointed by [University Provost Stanley] Chodorow," she explained. She said the Hill faculty is excited about O'Donnell's appointment. "Members of the Hill community are looking forward to the future with him," she said. "I've had students who were in his classes come up to me and tell me what a great thing his appointment is." O'Donnell succeeds Robert Lucid, Hill's Faculty Master for the past 18 years. Lucid retired at the end of the past school year due to a severe eye condition called macular degeneration. Feld called Lucid and his wife Joanne the force "that has made Hill House the uncommon place it is." "His wisdom and knowledge, coupled with his patience and sense of humor, have earned him love and respect from students and faculty alike," she said. She added that Hill House is still "feeling the loss of Lucid." Lucid said he feels O'Donnell is a good choice for the position. "He brings a powerful teacher-scholar identity, residential experience and something that Hill has never before had in its master position until now -- superb networking communication skills," he said. Lucid said O'Donnell's position as Vice Provost for Computing gives him the perfect credentials to strengthen Hill House in its most needed area -- "the coalescing through the creative the creative use of its resnet resources of its 17 decentralized suites into a single, central residential community." He said in past years, the communities did not know how to "find" each other. "[O'Donnell] is going to solve that problem for us," he added. O'Donnell said he has many ideas for the upcoming years, but also said he does not want to rock the balance the dormitory has now. "Hill is a very well-managed, student-run house," he said. "For me to say 'Everyone in the atrium for calisthenics at 7 a.m.,' would just be stupid. O'Donnell also praised Lucid's work with the college house program. "I know I'm following a legend, and I take that as a challenge," he said. "It's a lot easier to follow a chump than a legend." O'Donnell said he does not expect to take over Lucid's other position as chairperson of the administration's Collegiate Planning program. He said Lucid was "a man who knew everything there was to know on this campus." He speculated that the job would go to a faculty member who has done more work with the program. "I only know half of everything there is to know," he joked.