Computing college dean Andrew Sears leaving RIT

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A. Sue Weisler

Andrew Sears is stepping down as dean of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences to take a new position as dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technologies.

Andrew Sears is stepping down as dean of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences to take a new position as dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technologies.

Sears, who has been Golisano College dean since August 2011, will leave Rochester Institute of Technology in early July.

Sears, an expert in human-computing interaction and information technology, came to RIT from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

“I have enjoyed my time at RIT, and hope that I have contributed, in some way, to the continued success of the Golisano College,” Sears said. “We’ve made some exciting changes and significantly grown the college over these last four years. I know great things are awaiting RIT and the Golisano College, and I will be watching to see what exciting things come to be.”

RIT Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeremy Haefner thanked Sears and cited many accomplishments during his tenure, including substantially increased enrollment, more faculty engaged in sponsored research and creation of a Department of Computing Security, one of the first universities in the nation to establish such a school.

“Under Andrew’s leadership, new programs and departments have emerged, and the college has established its reputation among private universities as the country’s largest producer of graduates with computing degrees.”

Haefner said that in the coming weeks, he will appoint an interim dean for the college, with a search for a permanent successor to begin by Fall 2015.