Don Williams has been made the new head of the Honors College, Provost Robert Frank announced at the Faculty Senate meeting yesterday.

Williams was nominated interim dean of the Honors College after Dean Larry Andrews retired last year. Since 1983, Williams has worked at Kent State and has served as the department chairman and associate dean for the College of Business.

“The people in the honors program are great to work with,” Williams said. “I think with the emphasis on excellence President Lefton has, the Honors College should be a big part of that.”

The process to find a new dean began last January when a search committee began by interviewing about 20 candidates.

Once the selection was narrowed to five, the candidates were brought to Kent State for a campus visit and series of interviews with different departments on campus.

Williams said he is in the midst of developing future ideas for the Honors College, but his immediate plans include preparing for the Honors College’s 75th anniversary next year.

In addition, Williams said he envisions “programs that involve faculty and students coming together” as one way to provide more programming for students while making better use of the new facilities for the Honors College.

Danielle Sherritt, senior middle childhood and gifted education major, was part of the search committee for the new dean. She was the only student on the committee, and was glad to hear Williams was chosen. As the president of Honors Community Council, she worked with Williams and said he would do a great job.

“I’m really excited that he was named honors dean because I got a chance to work with him and he is friendly and personable,” said Sherritt.

Sherritt said one of the things the staff in the Honors College was looking for was continuity.

“It would have been hard adjusting to another dean after the retirement of Larry Andrews and then having Don Williams and the interim dean,” she said. “It’s nice because everyone already knows him.”

Contact Honors College reporter Christina Thomas at [email protected]. Administration reporter Jackie Valley also contributed to this report.