For new GSE dean, Fundraising and growth among future issues

Fundraising, facilitating internal growth and reaffirming urban partnerships are on the agenda for incoming Graduate School of Education Dean Andrew Porter.

Currently the director of Vanderbilt University's Learning Sciences Institute, Porter will replace Susan Fuhrman, who left GSE last spring to assume the presidency of Columbia University's Teachers College.

And as professors gear up for Porter's arrival, many are reflecting on the school's current state and what Porter will bring to the table.

"The perennial challenge that all schools face is . external funding," GSE professor Erling Boe said. "Designate Dean Porter has an extremely successful track record of being able to" fundraise.

Boe noted that Porter's resume boasts an extensive history of securing competitive education-based grants.

Another key issue for Porter will be managing the school's growth, GSE Assistant Dean Tom Kecskemethy said.

"How [Porter] takes advantage of this foundation . will be interesting to see," he said.

In addition to funding, a big challenge facing GSE will be competing with much larger education schools.

GSE has a standing faculty of about 40 professors, making it several times smaller than many of its peers.

Only time will tell if Porter will be able to extend the legacy many GSE professors attribute to Fuhrman but, for now, faculty say he seems like a capable successor.

"I think we are very fortunate to have attracted Porter," said GSE professor Robert Boruch, who has known the incoming dean for several years and also praised Porter's research administration skills.

Meanwhile, it is most important to some faculty that Porter carry on Fuhrman's public-school initiatives.

"I feel strongly that GSE must continue and deepen its connections to urban education," GSE professor Diana Slaughter-Defoe wrote in an e-mail.

Kecskemethy added that, because Porter's work at Vanderbilt was "interdisciplinary by nature," he is uniquely qualified to lead GSE.

Boe pointed out that, though living up to the high standard Fuhrman set should not be a concern, the former dean certainly left her mark.

"What Dean Fuhrman built is still here; it is a platform on which designate Dean Porter will build," Boe said.

Boe credited Fuhrman with overseeing successful engagement between Penn and Philadelphia public schools along with international initiatives.

He pointed out that this increased visibility also brought success in the form of consistent top 10 U.S. News and World Report's rankings. In the magazine's most recent rankings, GSE placed seventh.

In the meantime, Kecskemethy said, many faculty are taking a "sit back and wait and see" approach to the recent announcement of Porter's selection.

Porter will begin the deanship on Aug. 1.

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