NEW INTERIM DEAN FOR COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS
Posted on January 13, 2011
Dr. Mohamed Yamba will serve as interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, President Angelo
Armenti, Jr. has announced. Yamba replaces Dr. Michael
Hummel, who will return to the classroom. Hummel became acting dean of the
College in January 2009, after serving as chair of the Department of Justice, Law and Society. “I want to thank Dr. Hummel
for the great work he has done as dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and to
welcome him back to the ranks of the faculty,” President Armenti said. “I know that his students
will welcome his return to the classroom, and I wish him well in all his future
endeavors." A faculty member since 1989 and now past chair of the Department of History and Political Science,
Yamba earned dual master’s degrees in international affairs and
political science with a certificate in public administration at Ohio
University. He earned his Ph.D. in public policy research and analysis at the University
of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of
Public and International Affairs. "I am delighted that Dr.
Yamba has accepted my offer to serve as interim dean of the College of Liberal
Arts,” said President Armenti. “He comes highly recommended for this position
because of his excellent work as a professor and academic department
chair. “I am confident that he will
do a fine job in this new role, and I look forward very much to working with
him." Yamba, who was born in Old Tafo, Ghana, is
affiliated with the Frederick Douglass
Institute at Cal U. He coordinates the Harrisburg
Internship Semester (THIS) and the Martin
Luther King Jr. Scholarship Essay Competition. His perspective is both global and local: In
addition to his University duties, Yamba is a member of the steering committee
of Researchers' Alliance for Development
(RAD), a key component of the World
Bank. He also volunteers to read to children at Dunbar Elementary School in
Connellsville. In May 2002 Yamba received the Faculty Professional Development Committee
Merit Award for Research. He was honored in June 2010 at the President’s
Gala, where he received the President’s
Faculty Award for Service. “ I look forward to serving as interim dean of Liberal Arts
and working with so many outstanding faculty,” said Yamba. “I sincerely appreciate
the opportunity President Armenti and Provost (Geraldine) Jones
have given me. “The University has gone through a metamorphosis, both academically
and physically, during my 20 years as a faculty member,” Yamba added. “Several faculty
are doing cutting-edge research, which is recognized by scholars across a
wide spectrum of disciplines. “I plan to encourage and support their efforts, as our students are
the real beneficiaries their work. The world is our next stage, and I
intend to work diligently to enhance that step.” As he resumes his teaching duties, Hummel also
will serve as director of the newly established Linda and Harry Serene Leadership Institute. "It has been a fun
and fulfilling experience, rich in learning and professional growth,” he said
of his time in the dean’s office.
