SAS dean formally retires as committee to select her replacement is announced

Stevens has already taken on a slew of projects, and next semester she will begin teaching again. Accolades, gifts and wine greeted former School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rosemary Stevens yesterday, as she formally stepped down from her five-year tenure. A large crowd of Trustees, faculty and staff gathered for the early evening reception in the University Museum's Egyptian Rotunda. Stevens received a ceramic Philadelphia bowl and a plaque that will hang in the History and Sociology of Science reading room. The most precious gift, she said, was the additional time she now has. "I will miss some aspects of the position," Stevens said. "But it is wonderfully exciting to have the opportunity to return to academics. Learning flourishes where it is the most free." As Stevens begins to distance herself from administering academics, a search committee for the new dean was appointed last week, to be headed by Sociology Chairperson Douglas Massey. Meanwhile, Stevens is delving into several projects -- teaching at the University, working in Washington, D.C. and re-issuing one of her favorite books, American Medicine and the Public Interest. And she is not wasting any time. Since the former dean will not begin teaching her classes on the history of health care until next semester, Stevens is now chairing committees on Medicare and graduate medical education in Washington, D.C. Throughout the evening, Stevens's many talents were lauded as frequently as her charm and integrity. "In my book, Rosemary is the best because she has been our most courageous dean -- much tougher than most of the men we have around here," said Chemistry Professor Madeleine Joullie, who has been a University faculty member for 40 years. "When she knew she had to do something, she just did it." Joullie said Stevens is the most charming woman she knows, adding that she is "very envious" of the former dean. Others looked at Stevens's departure with a mix of criticism and praise. "I definitely did not agree with all the decisions she made, but it took a lot of integrity for her to make such unpopular choices," said Folklore Professor Dan Ben-Amos, referring to the elimination of two departments three years ago. "Rosemary picked a hard time to be dean." After Stevens retired at the beginning of September, Physics Professor Walter Wales began his tenure as interim SAS dean. Wales served as interim dean twice before in 1987 and in the summer of 1991. "It's going reasonably well -- I guess it's too strong to say that I dislike it," Wales said. "But I will be happy to return to my laboratory after they find another new dean." The search committee for Stevens's replacement includes eight professors and two students. Wales said the committee will probably select a candidate by April, and the new dean begin work in July. But last night's celebration focused on the past -- and Stevens's reign as dean. "We want future generations to know who you are and what you have done," Trustee Natalie Koether told Stevens. And many people showed their deep respect for Stevens, milling around the rotunda long after the food disappeared. The former dean continually repeated how flattered she was by all the attention. "I have always believed in strategy without straightjackets," she said. "My time has been a negotiating paradox, but I thoroughly enjoyed the five years. I have learned so much from each of you."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.