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July 27, 1998

Four take on top-level adminstrative positions

By Barbara McKenna

UCSC recently announced the appointment of a new associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education and the appointments of new provosts at three of the campus's eight residential colleges.

Lynda Goff, professor of biology, has been named associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education; Judith Habicht-Mauche, associate professor of anthropology, has been named provost of Crown College; Tyler Stovall, professor of history, has been named provost of Stevenson College; and Andrew Szasz, associate professor of sociology, has been named provost of College Eight. The appointments were effective July 1.

"Along with welcoming in these four talented and extremely dedicated new officers, the campus owes a debt of gratitude to our outgoing officers who have served with commitment and distinction," noted Chancellor Greenwood.


Lynda Goff

Lynda Goff replaces professor emeritus of earth sciences Leo Laporte as associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. A member of the UCSC faculty since 1975, Goff has a long history of commitment to undergraduate education. Goff's primary responsibility in her new position will be to focus on undergraduate curriculum.

"There are two things I'll be focusing on right away," Goff says. "First, we will be working to make a smooth transition into new general education requirements. And, second, I want to look more critically at the role of colleges in terms of their responsibilities in the undergraduate curriculum."

Goff is an evolutionary cell biologist and the author of two books and more than 90 articles published in national and international scientific journals. She has received numerous grants and awards, including the prestigious Provasoli Medal, recognizing outstanding contributions in her field.


Judith Habicht-Mauche

Judith Habicht-Mauche replaces Laporte, who held the provostship along with his other duties. Since coming to UCSC in 1990, she has served on the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) and the CEP's Advisory Committee on General Education. She has also served as the Anthropology Department's undergraduate director.

Among her goals as provost, Judith Habicht-Mauche says she wants to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. "Crown is known traditionally as a science college and I would like to develop a broader interdisciplinary perspective on scientific study," she says.

Habicht-Mauche's area of focus is the archaeology of the American Southwest and the analysis of pottery and pottery production, a subject on which she has published one book and several articles. She also runs the campus's Ceramic Material Analysis Laboratory.


Tyler Stovall

Tyler Stovall replaces associate professor of history Mark Cioc as provost of Stevenson College. A member of the UCSC faculty since 1988, Stovall is currently a member of the Millennium Committee and has served on the campus's Committee on Planning and Budget and the Accreditation Review Committee.

Among his priorities as provost, Stovall says, "I want to make sure that we maintain the value of a small-college atmosphere within a large university. We also need to actively promote diversity at Stevenson in all dimensions of college life--academic, cultural, and social."

Stovall's area of expertise is 20th-century France. He is the author of The Rise of the Paris Red Belt (1990) and Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light (1996).


Andrew Szasz

Andrew Szasz replaces sociology professor Walter Goldfrank as provost of College Eight. Szasz came to UCSC in 1986. Since his arrival, he has served on numerous departmental committees and, for four years, on the Committee on Privilege and Tenure. As provost, Szasz says, he has several goals.

"I will work to strengthen the college's core course. Staff morale is of central importance to me and, as enrollment increases, I would like to find ways of serving our students that don't automatically translate into greater workload and greater work stress for college staff. I will also encourage faculty fellows to participate more in the life of the college," he says.

Szasz's academic work is in the field of environmental sociology and theory. He is the author of EcoPopulism: Toxic Waste and the Movement for Environmental Justice (1994), which won the Association for Humanistic Sociology's Book Award for 1994-1995.


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