Professor Dennis DeTurck will undoubtedly face a plethora of challenges in his new role as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
But we expect that the inaugural recipient of the Evan C. Thompson Excellence in Teaching Professorship will have the shoulders to carry the load.
DeTurck is no stranger to teaching accolades, and the College will be well-served by his background in working to improve undergraduate education.
He has set out laudable goals of expanding research opportunities for undergraduates and giving serious thought to needed curriculum reforms.
In addition, DeTurck's experience on the classrooms committee should be an asset as the College looks to make long-overdue upgrades to bring its facilities up to par with those of Penn's other schools. Any capital improvements cannot be successful without adequate resources, so DeTurck must take a leading role, along with School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rebecca Bushnell, in improving the College's fundraising prowess.
Technology is another critical issue facing the College, as the services it provides to students, such as webmail and Blackboard, continue to lag behind those offered by other schools.
Being accessible to students is a priority for DeTurck, and it should be a starting point for rethinking the current state of advising in the College. Advisers should be more relevant in students' collegiate careers, more than just a rubber stamp on course registration.
Finally, DeTurck is in a great position to expand Penn's recent success in bringing international prominence to its undergraduate programs in the humanities to the sciences as well. Making departments such as Mathematics and Physics more accessible to the greater community is a step in the right direction.
