An interim dean has been appointed in the College of Education to replace Norene Daly, who resigned from the post in June.

Camilla Benbow, chair of psychology, will begin as interim dean of the college on or before Aug. 1.

“Camilla Benbow has a strong relationship with the College of Education through her internationally recognized research in the development of gifted children, especially in mathematics,” Provost John Kozak said. “She is a respected scholar and an experienced and successful administrator.”

Kozak said that, as the chair of psychology, Benbow has experience dealing with enrollment pressures, and she manages a budget almost one-quarter the size of that of the College of Education.

Benbow joined the ISU faculty in 1985 and was named chair of psychology in 1992. She was named a distinguished professor of psychology in 1995 in recognition of her research — a 50-year longitudinal study of intellectually talented students, which began in 1971 and now involves more than 6,000 individuals who will be studied throughout their adult lives.

In conjunction with her research, Benbow also directs the Iowa Talent Search, which serves more than 5,000 students each year, and she co-directs both the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth and the Office of Precollegiate Programs for Talented and Gifted.

Benbow was the first recipient of the National Association for Gifted Education Early Scholar Award in 1985, and she was inducted into Johns Hopkins University’s Society of Scholars in May 1991.

Benbow will serve as interim dean until a permanent dean is named next year following a national search, said David Williams, an associate dean of the College of Education.

Benbow said she has no plans to be the permanent dean of the college.

Kozak said an interim department chair for psychology will be named soon.