By USU media relations & marketing

Thomas Kent has been named dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Utah State University. His appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2001.

Kent comes to USU from his position at Iowa State University, where he is chair of the Department of English.

"Thomas Kent comes to Utah State University with strong recommendations," said Stan Albrecht, head of the search committee and dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. "Colleagues praise Kent as a productive scholar, possessing sound and effective leadership skills with dedication, fairness and a keen sense of administrative procedure. We are pleased that a candidate with such a distinguished career as a teacher, scholar and administrator is joining us at USU."

Kent holds a master's degree from the University of Michigan and he earned his doctorate at Purdue University in 1980. He joined the faculty at Iowa State University in 1982. Among numerous honors, Kent received the Research Excellence Award from the Liberal Arts and Sciences College at Iowa State University. He also received the Best Book Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication in 1995. He has been a lecturer in Finland and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society in 1978.

At USU Kent replaces Noelle E. Cockett who has served as interim dean since July 1999, when dean James Shaver retired.

Graduate programs at USU are supervised by the dean of the School of Graduate Studies, assisted by the Graduate Council. The council includes the dean, a faculty representative from each of USU's eight colleges, a representative of Faculty Senate, the dean of Learning Resources and two graduate students.

USU has awarded master of science degrees since 1914 and doctoral degrees since 1950. The School of Graduate Studies was formally organized in 1945. Forty-three of USU's 44 departments participate in graduate degree programs, including several interdepartmental programs. Included are 86 master's programs, 33 doctoral programs, three educational specialist programs and two engineering degrees.

The School of Graduate Studies holds memberships in the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States and the Western Association of Graduate Schools.

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