York University is pleased to announce the reappointment of two longstanding deans at York University, Dezsö Horváth and Alice Pitt, to lead the Schulich School of Business for a three-year term and the Faculty of Education for a five-year term, respectively. The reappointments for the new terms were approved by the executive committee of the Board of Governors on Monday, and will take effect July 1, 2013.
“I am delighted to announce the reappointment of both Dezsö and Alice,” said Mamdouh Shoukri, president & vice-chancellor. “They are incredible leaders who are dedicated and committed not only to their students, but to making their school and Faculty the finest in the world.”
Horváth has led the Schulich School of Business since 1988, making his tenure one of the longest at any business school in the world. He first came to Schulich in 1976 as a visiting professor, after teaching at the University of Umeå, Sweden, where he had completed his MBA and PhD in management. An associate professor at York in 1977, he became a full professor in 1981, and currently holds the Tanna H. Schulich Chair in Strategic Management.
Dezsö Horváth
In 2004, he was named Dean of the Year by the Academy of International Business, and in 2008, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his academic leadership and sustained commitment to business education.
“I am pleased to have been appointed to a sixth straight term as dean of the Schulich School of Business. Over the years, my colleagues and I have managed to position Schulich as a significant force in management education globally,” said Horváth. “The entire Schulich community – our faculty, students and staff, our alumni, advisory board members and donors alike – has been instrumental in making this happen. Equally transformative has been the generous and unwavering support provided by Seymour Schulich over many years, which has given us the confidence to expand our global footprint and to compete at the highest level. I look forward to taking on the challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities that lie ahead as we strive to enhance our school’s standing as one of the world’s leading centres of management education.”
Pitt is an educational theorist and has been a member of the Faculty of Education since 1995. She became a full professor in 2009. She was associate dean, pre-service in the Faculty of Education from 2002-2007, where she led curriculum renewal efforts including the design of experiential components that involved the expansion of partnerships with schools and community organizations.
Alice Pitt
Pitt holds a PhD in education from the University of Toronto, with specializations in curriculum theory, critical/feminist pedagogy and cultural studies in education. She has published widely in these fields, as well as in the area of teacher education.
“These are challenging times for both public compulsory and postsecondary education, so I know that we have lots of work to do. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues and the confidence that York’s administration has expressed by continuing my appointment,” said Pitt. “As the Faculty of Education enters its fifth decade, we build upon a strong record of educational leadership in teacher education, graduate education, research and community engagement, becoming ever better known nationally and internationally. York University is home to a fabulous Faculty of Education, and I am thrilled to put my energies into making it even better.”
Added Shoukri: “I hope all members of the faculty will join me in congratulating them on their reappointment.”