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June 25, 2002

Ohio State sociology head named Purdue liberal arts dean

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Toby L. Parcel, an Ohio State University faculty member and administrator, has been named dean of Purdue University's School of Liberal Arts.

Toby L. Parcel

The appointment, effective Sept. 1, was announced today (Tuesday, 6/25) by Provost Sally Frost Mason. Parcel's appointment is subject to approval by Purdue's Board of Trustees.

Parcel has been on the Ohio State faculty for 18 years. Her previous administrative experience includes eight years as associate dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Ohio State. She also taught at the University of Iowa. Parcel's areas of research are women, family and work. She is the co-author of the book "Parents' Jobs and Children's Lives."

Parcel said she is looking forward to her new position.

"The challenge for the liberal arts at a technologically oriented university, such as Purdue, is to bring to the table a balance of language, the arts, communication and the social sciences," she said. "In my view, the liberal arts have become more, not less, relevant in preparing students to be productive citizens and lifelong learners in a high-tech society."

Parcel was on the editorial board of the American Sociological Review and other scholarly journals and was consulting editor for the American Journal of Sociology.

"The liberal arts are absolutely key to the excellence of a Purdue education," Frost Mason said. "Dr. Parcel will provide the leadership not only to fulfill the mission of the school but also to align the School of Liberal Arts with the university's strategic plan.

"Toby Parcel brings scholarly depth and administrative experience to the deanship of the School of Liberal Arts. She is a wonderful addition to the Purdue University family."

Parcel received her bachelor's degree in sociology with highest honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington, Seattle.

Margaret M. Rowe, current liberal arts dean, will remain in place until Sept. 1. Rowe will then begin her new position as Purdue's vice provost for academic affairs.

Purdue's School of Liberal Arts encompasses 11 departments and 14 interdisciplinary programs. There are approximately 6,000 undergraduates, 1,000 graduate students and 350 tenured/tenure-track faculty in the school.

Writer: J.M. Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu

Sources: Toby L. Parcel, (614) 292-6681, Parcel.1@osu.edu

Sally Frost Mason, (765) 494-9709, sfmason@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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