SAS interim dean to focus on budget probs.

Walter Wales is not new to his office in College Hall -- though he just moved in a week ago. The interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences served in the same position during the 1987-1988 academic year and during the summer of 1991. But his commitment to the University began long before that, when he first joined the Arts and Sciences faculty in 1959 as a Physics professor. He has spent most of his 37 years here teaching. Wales is now working on "coming up to speed and acquainting himself with the operations of SAS." He said he has received a great deal of help from his colleagues. Wales has made understanding SAS's financial difficulties his primary goal. He explained that the school's budget problems have grown during the past 14 years, since he served as associate dean of SAS in 1982. Despite the problems he now faces as successor to former SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens, he said he admires and respects his predecessor and was surprised when he heard of her resignation. "But after the first week, I think I understand? it is a difficult job," he said. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla said he is sure that Wales "will keep the school on a sound course as interim dean." "Walter Wales is widely respected by the SAS faculty as an extremely effective leader who has sound judgments and makes fair decisions," Rescorla said. Wales said he had "a thought in the back of my head" that he would be selected as interim dean. "I had some previous experience as acting dean and I was in the unfortunate position of not being fully occupied this semester," he said. "I was, in a sense, vulnerable," Wales added. He explained that he took a semester-long leave last spring and "did little to nothing over the summer." Though Wales had already begun teaching Physics 1 and Physics of Music earlier this semester, he dropped his introductory Physics section upon accepting the interim dean position. He will still teach Physics of Music "because it is a more specialized course which is harder for someone else to step in at short notice." College sophomore Carter Byrnes said he is glad Wales will stick with Physics of Music this fall. "He's an exuberant teacher who gives very good examples," he said. Wales said while he may have wanted to be SAS dean 10 years ago, the job is now much more difficult. "I would rather teach," he said, adding that teaching is less stressful and more rewarding than serving in an administrative role. "When your teaching goes well, it's wonderful," he said. "You don't get the lift from other kinds of jobs." Wales said he had planned to be an engineer while in high school but studied liberal arts in college, originally majoring in geology. After taking a physics course, Wales was hooked and switched his major. He went to graduate school to further pursue an engineering career, planning to work in an industry-related job after graduation. But for financial reasons, Wales decided to come to Penn and has remained ever since. Wales said the major changes he has noticed in the school during the past 37 years have occurred in its physical appearance. "The school is a great deal more attractive," he noted. "But the students have not changed very much," he said, adding that the students who tend to take Physics are still as hard working as they were when he first began teaching.