January
2009
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It was a desire to follow in his family’s tradition of public service that led newly elected 127th Civil District Court Judge Ravi Sandill to run for public office. 
John J. Antel Named Chief Academic Officer
UH System Chancellor and UH President Renu Khator announced that John
J. Antel has been named provost and senior vice president for the University
of Houston and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University
of Houston System.Antel is expected to assume this position Feb. 1. His appointment is subject to approval by the UH System Board of Regents at its next meeting.
Antel has been dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLASS) at UH since July 2002. CLASS is the largest college on the UH campus, with 290 tenure and tenure-track faculty, 28 departments and programs, 8,000 undergraduate majors and a budget of about $40 million. As dean, he continued to teach and conduct research in labor economics, health economics and applied statistics at the University of Houston.
"I am delighted to have Dr. Antel as a key member of my leadership team as we continue to build momentum toward becoming a top-tier research university," Khator said. "Dr. Antel is highly respected in the academic world as a researcher and as an administrator, and he has a proven track record of promoting academic excellence and student success. Throughout his tenure as dean, his leadership in strategic planning and budgeting, program review, external fundraising, and the design of administrative and governance structures has been outstanding."
"I also want to thank Dr. Jerald Strickland for his admirable service as interim provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs," Khator said. "Dr. Strickland has ably served the university on two occasions in this role, and his guidance and leadership have greatly benefited our students and faculty."
In addition to overseeing faculty hiring, promotion and tenure, the provost works with faculty to effect curriculum development and collaborates with other vice presidents to integrate physical and technological innovations in classrooms.
From state policy to university planning, from scholarships to individuals studying abroad, the provost works to promote excellence within the university."
I see the office of the provost as critical to our future," Antel said. "Big ideas are necessary, but we also need accountability and results. I look forward to building an effective administrative team, creating strong internal and external relationships and working hard to build world-class instructional and research programs at the University of Houston."
Antel was selected as provost following a national search. Led by chair and psychology Professor David Francis, the 18-member search committee identified him as one of the four top candidates in their recommendation to Chancellor Khator.
New Biomedical Engineering Department Approved
In economically uncertain times, college students must be strategic when choosing career paths, and biomedical engineering is one of the safest bets as demand for new medical devices and techniques increases and job growth follows suit. At the University of Houston, a new biomedical engineering department is being launched to both develop that highly skilled work force and drive discovery.Creation of the department, the first added to the Cullen College of Engineering in more than 35 years, is among several universitywide initiatives that will raise the research institution to top-tier status, according to UH President Renu Khator, because it will attract talented faculty members and students."
This is precisely the kind of strategic move we must make to bring the University of Houston to national prominence," Khator said. "Creation of this new department builds on our presence in the Texas Medical Center and our decades-long collaborations with institutions there."
The Higher Education Coordinating Board's approval of the department this month could not have come at a better time, said Dean Joseph W. Tedesco, who said the department could begin operation as early as spring 2009."
Biomedical is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in engineering," Tedesco said. "If we are going to be a nationally competitive engineering program, we must have a strong, well-funded program in the biomedical sciences. Launching a biomedical engineering department will allow us to recruit prolific researchers and attract top-notch students."
The department is an outgrowth of the college's longstanding biomedical engineering program, which has been housed for more than three decades in the department of mechanical engineering. It has offered a master's degree since its inception, and it has offered a bachelor's degree since 2003.
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