Marquette University names new Klingler College of Arts and Sciences dean

Associate dean from Loyola University Chicago will begin July 1, 2013

Dr. Richard Holz, associate dean for resources and planning and professor of chemistry at Loyola University Chicago, has been named dean of Marquette University's Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, President Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., announced today. Holz will begin his role as dean on July 1, 2013.

"Dr. Holz is an accomplished and dynamic leader who is poised to lead Marquette University's largest college," Pilarz said. "The liberal arts and sciences are at the heart of what Catholic, Jesuit education has always been about, and we are excited to have found a leader who will ensure our students experience a transformative education in an increasingly complex world."

Holz, 50, earned his doctorate at The Pennsylvania State University in chemistry and completed a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Minnesota. He has served more than 6,000 full-time students, 395 full-time faculty and 50 full-time staff members within Loyola's College of Arts and Sciences as an associate dean.

At Loyola University Chicago, Holz manages budgetary expenditures for all 18 of Loyola's academic departments and 19 interdisciplinary programs, which total more than $54.5 million annually. Holz, who also previously served as chemistry department chair at Loyola for five years, has published more than 90 research articles on biological inorganic chemistry. His research efforts are currently funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the Petroleum Research Fund.

During his campus visit in January, Holz shared how his experiences at a Jesuit university have instilled in him the value of a liberal arts education in addressing complex, global problems. "The core, which is grounded in the liberal arts, can shape a person's life providing students with the basis for critical thinking and the ability to ask and answer in an ethical manner some of the most pressing questions in a global community," Holz said.

While at Loyola, Holz helped implement the university's revitalized core of common studies and participated in a university committee charged with implementing Loyola Chicago's strategic plan, which will position him to lead the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences in developing and implementing a college-wide strategic plan next year, to support the university plan.

"Rick has all of the qualities we were looking for in a dean to lead our largest college," said Dr. John Pauly, university provost. "He brings a combination of research excellence, commitment to teaching, belief in the Jesuit pedagogy and has extensive strategic planning and administrative experience. He will ensure we position our arts and sciences students to succeed at Marquette and beyond, and our faculty and staff to perform at their highest levels. I also want to thank Rev. Philip Rossi, S.J., who has been extremely committed to ensuring a bright future of the college during his time as interim dean."

Dr. Phillip Naylor, professor of history and chair of the search committee, emphasized the "strong pool of viable candidates" for the deanship. The other three finalists for the dean position hailed from Boston College, the University of Missouri and the University of Kansas.

"I am proud of and inspired by our search committee's engagement," Naylor said. "Throughout this important process, we kept the aspirations and expectations of the faculty, staff and alumni in mind. This was a collective effort and accomplishment."

Holz has a bachelor of science from Bemidji State University, a master of science from the University of Minnesota—Duluth and a doctorate from The Pennsylvania State University, all in chemistry. Holz and his wife, Anna, have two daughters, Emilia, 8, and Marika, 7.

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