OU DEAN NAMED PRESIDENT ELECT

Norman – The largest national association serving the deans of colleges of arts and sciences has selected its 2009-2010 officers, including a member of the faculty at the University of Oklahoma.

Paul B. Bell Jr., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and vice provost for instruction at OU, was named president-elect of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences at its November meeting in Portland, Ore.

Arts and sciences colleges provide more than half of the undergraduate instruction offered at their institutions, and many member colleges are responsible for a wide spectrum of master’s and doctoral degree programs. These colleges represent the largest component of American higher education in publicly and privately supported universities and colleges. The council is concerned with the problems, possibilities and interests of these institutions. 

CCAS’ informal motto, “Deans helping deans to dean,” reflects the role CCAS plays in providing professional development opportunities for academic deans and department chairs designed to help them be more effective in meeting their leadership and management responsibilities.  CCAS also promotes the centrality of the liberal arts and sciences in U.S. higher education.

The Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences has 1,500 members representing 450 colleges and universities that serve 4 million students.  It is headquartered at The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Bell joined the OU faculty in 1979 as an assistant professor of zoology. In 1989, he was named faculty administrative fellow in the Provost’s Office, later adding the titles of acting university registrar and associate provost for undergraduate education. In 1997, he moved into his current positions of vice provost for instruction and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, OU’s largest college.

At OU, Bell has taught cell biology and histology, primarily to zoology majors and pre-medical students. He also has taught honors courses in biomedical ethics.

Bell has earned several honors at OU, including the 1996 Special Recognition Award, presented by the Oklahoma Academic Advising Association; the 1998 OU Associates Distinguished Lecturer Award; and the 1987 Amoco Good Teaching Award. In 1997 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Linkoping University in Sweden for his work in promoting international exchanges. He has served on dozens of committees spanning the campus and is a frequent guest speaker at events for student-run clubs and organizations.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington University, Bell started his teaching career as a high school science and biology teacher in St. Louis, Mo. He also developed the science curriculum for the St. Louis City Schools.

He then went back to school, earning his doctorate in biology from Yale University.  He also studied as a postdoctoral fellow at Uppsala University, Sweden, and the California Institute of Technology.  Prior to joining the OU faculty he was an adjunct assistant professor of biology at UCLA for three years.

Bell speaks French, Spanish, Swedish and currently is learning Chinese.