Two Candidates for Dean of College of Education and Health Professions to Return for Second Interview

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Michael Poliakoff and Tom Smith have been asked to come back for a second interview in January for the position of dean of the College of Education and Health Professions.

Interviews for Poliakoff will be Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 12 and 13, and interviews for Smith will be Friday, Jan. 15.

Michael Poliakoff most recently held the position of vice president for academic affairs and research at the University of Colorado System. His background also includes positions at the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Council on Teacher Quality, and the American Academy of Liberal Education, among other educational positions. PDF of curriculum vitae for Michael Poliakoff.

Thomas Smith is currently the interim dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. Smith has a Doctorate of Education from Texas Tech University and has held faculty positions at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of Alabama, Birmingham, and the University of Arkansas. He has focused on pediatrics and special education, including learning disabilities and mental retardation. PDF of curriculum vitae for Thomas Smith.

Five candidates were interviewed in November for the position, and the search committee recommended that two be brought back for a second interview.

The College of Education and Health Professions is composed of five academic departments with more than 100 faculty members, the university’s intramural and recreational sports department, and 13 research and service units. Enrollment for the fall semester was 3,628 students, including 2,468 undergraduate students and 1,160 graduate students.

The college has academic programs educating students in teaching, nursing, educational leadership, communication disorders, health science, kinesiology, recreation, human resource development, workforce development, educational technology, higher education, counselor education, education policy, educational statistics and rehabilitation counseling.