Kral and Jones Elected as Chair and Vice Chair of Campus Faculty

Timothy Kral, professor of biosciences in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences has been elected as Chair of the Campus Faculty for the 2011-2012 academic year; Ches Jones, professor of health, human performance and recreation in the College of Education and Health Professions, has been elected as Vice-Chair.

Kral joined the university in 1981 and has been recognized for his research in the origins of life, particularly on other planets, such as Mars. He has held the Liebolt Chair of Premedical Sciences and has served as President of the Teaching Academy. Kral been recognized as a Fulbright College Master Teacher, and received two university-wide teaching awards: the John Imhoff Award for Teaching and Mentoring and the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award.

Jones joined the university in 1994 and his area of research has been in injury prevention. He has worked in shared campus governance having been elected at-large by the faculty to serve on the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Committee. He has also served as Chair of the Nominations and Elections Coordinating Committee. He serves on the editorial boards of five journals.

“We are fortunate to have such solid leadership for faculty and shared campus governance during the upcoming school year,” said David Gay, University Professor of economics in the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Gay is out-going Chair of the Campus Faculty, and will automatically become Chair of the Faculty Senate.

“Our Faculty Senate has accomplished a lot this year,” Gay said. “Revision of teaching evaluations was initiated by the Teaching Academy and with the support of Provost Sharon Gaber the Faculty Senate has revised our procedures. Our campus is also pilot testing an on-line version of teaching evaluations. Meanwhile, revision of our Code of Student Conduct has also been an ongoing issue for the campus.”

Faculty members elected the following at-large members to the Faculty Senate: Terry Martin, associate dean of engineering in the College of Engineering; Thomas Jensen, professor of marketing in Walton College; Linda Jones, associate professor of world languages, literature and culture in Fulbright College; Timothy Kral, professor of biological sciences in Fulbright College; John Rupe, professor of plant pathology in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; Donald Johnson, professor of agricultural extension education in Bumpers College; Norm Dennis, professor of civil engineering in the College of Engineering; and Jeannie Whayne, professor of history in Fulbright College. Other members of the Faculty Senate are elected by their respective colleges and schools.

University faculty members also elected four at-large members of the Appointments, Promotion and Tenure Committee. Curt Rom, professor of horticulture in Bumpers College; Charles Rosenkrans, professor of animal science in Bumpers College; Joe Schriver, professor in the School of Social Work in Fulbright College; and Matt McIntosh, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in Fulbright College will each serve three year terms on the committee.