White officially takes dean title
Pamela White, interim dean of the college of Human Sciences, has worked at Iowa State in many capacities since 1975. According to White, the position of interim dean can last from as little as 2 months to as much as 2 years or so. It all depends on when the qualified candidate is found to fill the position. Photo: Eloisa Perez-Lozano/Iowa State Daily
April 15, 2009
With three years of experience as an interim dean, Pam White officially took the title of Dean of the College of Human Sciences on Thursday.
White, who has been serving as interim dean of the College of Human Sciences, came to Iowa State in 1975 to teach and work on obtaining her Ph.D.
White has been here ever since.
Although she has established a lengthy career at Iowa State, White did not expect to remain here that long.
“Coming to Iowa State for me was kind of an adventure at the time,” White said. “I remember when I came, all I did was sign a nine month contract and so I thought ‘Well, I’ll give this a try for nine months and see how it goes.’”
After a year working in the industry, White said returning to academia was a “comfortable thing.”
“I really enjoyed the environment, I loved Ames, I was really happy to be back in academia,” White said.
Along with her teaching background, White has also researched edible oils, focusing on two main areas: evaluating edible corn and soybean oil for improved stability and use and developing oats for dietary fiber.
“Being in Iowa and being in food science, I was anxious to study agricultural products that are particularly important to Iowa,” White said.
Some of her research has included the development and evaluation of trans fats and how to incorporate fiber into yogurt products.
In her official position as dean, White said she would like to continue to work on improving “collaboration and collegiality” within the college and make students feel as if they belong.
“This is a really good time for us to be in that area because the world is interested in the kinds of programs that we prepare students in,” White said.
“We’re very excited about what we teach students and how they’re going to go out and be leaders in the world.”
Yet, White faces challenges as she steps into her new position.
She said the College of Human Sciences is going to have to take their “fair share” of the budget cuts.
“We are working very hard right now with our department chairs and our unit directors to help make decisions that are going to impact our program the least as possible,” White said.
Most deans serve five years, White said.
