By Lauren del ValleNEWS EDITOR
Provost Herman Berliner will take over for Dean Patrick Socci as the Dean of the Zarb School of Business in the coming 2015-16 academic year. Dean Socci announced his retirement to the administration before classes adjourned for spring break.
Berliner will lead the Zarb administration in conducting a national hiring search throughout the summer and fall 2015 semester.
Dr. Socci served as Dean since his appointment in 2010. Socci could not be reached for comment.
The administrative position, however, is not unfamiliar territory for Berliner. Prior to becoming Provost, Dr. Berliner served as the Dean of the Zarb School of Business for eight years.
Previously, Provost Berliner announced his plans to take one year of sabbatical leave during the 2015-2016 school year in a letter to University President Stuart Rabinowitz in June 2014. Upon Rabinowitz’s most recent request, however, Berliner officially postponed this leave of absence.
“First of all I was not going to say no to the president, and second, I have the experience and the background,” said Berliner.
Vice Dean George Papaioannou also recently announced that he will also be stepping down from his administrative duties. As his full-time teaching contract ends on August 31 of this year, he chose to renew neither his faculty nor administrative contracts, according to Papaioannou.
Dr. Papaioannou served as vice dean for three years since his appointment in August of 2012. He began teaching finance and investment banking for Hofstra’s business school in 1982. Dr. Papaioannou intends to continue teaching on a part-time basis in the finance department as he is needed.
Professor of Business Law and Chair of the Senate Executive Committee, Stuart Bass expressed the loss in the retirements of Socci and Papaioannou, but praised the competence of Provost Berliner.
“He’s looking to move on to bigger and better things,” said Bass. “I think it will be a good interim changeover. Dr. Berliner has the respect of virtually every faculty member. He is widely respected across the board. I think he will bring a wealth of knowledge, not to mention his experience, while the search goes on.”
While Berliner was looking forward to taking the year off, he did not hesitate to assume the role.
“I’m still planning to [take sabbatical] a year from now, it’s just postponed for a year,” said Berliner. “I think the bottom line is that I’ve spent a lot of years at the University. I’m invested in the success of the University and whatever I can do to help, I’m prepared to do… This was not a difficult decision for me.”
