Charlie Englemann, director of Asia Programming (left); Thandi Dinani, associate dean and director of Global Education for Eckerd College (middle); and Ron Cox, the interim dean of International Programs (right), are the three final candidates for the dean of IP position, according to the Pepperdine website. The University will host student forums from Jan. 11-13, where Seaver students can ask the candidates questions, said Michael Feltner, dean of Seaver College. Photos courtesy of Eckerd College (left) and Pepperdine (middle and right)
Seaver College has finalized three candidates for the dean of International Programs position, said Michael Feltner, dean of Seaver College. The University will host three community forums Jan. 11-13, allowing all Seaver students to meet the finalists.
The three finalists are Thandi Dinani, associate dean and director of Global Education for Eckerd College; Charlie Engelmann, director of Asia Programming; and Ron Cox, the interim dean of IP, according to the University’s dean of IP candidate materials webpage update Jan. 4.
The University finalized the three candidates Nov. 4, but due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and other University searches, the candidates’ interviews were pushed to January, Feltner wrote in a Jan. 4 email to the Graphic.
Feltner said the University did not release the names of the finalists until Jan. 4, out of respect for their current jobs. The position opened after Beth Laux, the former dean of International Programs, stepped down from her position in May. Since then, Ron Cox has served as interim dean of IP.
“Because we want to be a fully inclusive community, it’s important that all the different stakeholders in our community have agency or have a voice to participate in important process like the selections of key leaders,” Feltner said.
The University will hold forums for three consecutive days, with each day dedicated to a different candidate, Feltner said. Each forum will be from 1:05 to 1:50 p.m. in the Hahn Fireside Room in the Tyler Campus Center.
Dinani’s interview is Jan. 11, according to the website. Dinani has a doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Biola University, a Master of Arts in Education with a focus on Instructional Leadership from Biola University and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Messiah College.
“Global education has the wonderful opportunity and responsibility to utilize the countries, cultures, and history as the classroom,” Dinani wrote in her personal statement. “For this reason, academic programs need to consider the context wherein they are placed to help students make connections to their curriculum.”
Engelmann’s interview is Jan. 12, according to the website. Engelmann has worked at Pepperdine since 2013, first as the director of Shanghai program then, after the program’s closure, the director of Asia programming. Engelmann is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University; has a Master of Art in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University; and a Bachelor of Art in Organizational Communications from Pepperdine, according to his resume.
“The IP Dean supports students’ growth by helping overseas programs connect with resources in Malibu, supporting local directors as they oversee local operations, ensuring that program cohorts are inclusive and diverse, and helping prepare students for growth opportunities prior to their departures,” Engelmann wrote in his personal statement.
Cox’s interview is Jan. 13, according to the website. Cox served as the associate dean of IP since 2017 before becoming interim dean, according to his resume. Cox has a doctorate in New Testament and Christian Origins from the University of Notre Dame, a Master of Divinity from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the California Polytechnic State University.
“Simply put, my vision is that students who participate in International Programs grow to be more aware of themselves as part of God’s creation and more capable of being who they are in service, or better, in love for others,” Cox wrote in his personal statement.
Each candidate will have five to seven minutes of opening remarks, then the forum will move into a student Q&A session. At the end of the Q&A session, Feltner said he will share the link to the feedback form for students.
“I think what’s interesting are the candidates are used to [getting] similar questions from some other groups that student questions are always very different and have a unique perspective,” Feltner said. “And it really gives you insight into how the candidates think, so I will be there.”
Feltner said the website also includes candidate letters, their resume or CV and a reflective essay with the candidates’ vision for IP.
“What I really want are just engaged participants who want to be there, who want to participate in the process, who make it a little insight on how the university functions from an operational standpoint,” Feltner said.
The University selection committee also has a student on board. Sabrina Musharbash, vice president of finance for the Student Government Association, has assisted in the hiring process, Feltner said. The University will work with SGA to spread the word about the forums, Feltner said.
“It’s my hope that by having a student member on the search committee, and by having a student forum where students can participate, that the student voice is loud and a vital part of the decision making when we select the next leader of International Programs,” Feltner said.
There will also be forums for faculty members to ask the candidates questions, Feltner said. These forums will take place on the same day as the student forums.
“Ultimately, I feel that leads us to make a more informed decision. And that’s ultimately what I’m trying to do,” Feltner said. “I’m trying to make the best decision on who the next dean of International Programs should be.”
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