Constantin Rasinariu Named New Dean of Graduate Studies

Photo: Phil Dembinski '08

CHICAGO (Sept. 13, 2016) – Columbia College Chicago has named Constantin Rasinariu, Ph.D., as its new Dean of Graduate Studies. Rasinariu assumed the role on July 1.

The role of the Dean of Graduate Studies and the School of Graduate Studies will be to create, revise, implement, and monitor policies and practices related to all aspects of graduate admissions, graduate study, graduate assistantships, and graduate faculty status.

“Constantin is a highly skilled academic leader,” said Stan Wearden, provost and senior vice president at Columbia College Chicago. “He has great credibility with the faculty and the administration, and he has a strong understanding of graduate education, both at Columbia and nationally.”

Since joining Columbia in 1999, Rasinariu has served in a number of capacities, including most recently serving as Interim Dean of the School of Media Arts. Rasinariu prior served as chair of Science and Mathematics. He has served on numerous college-wide committees from College Council to the Institutional Review Board to the Academic Affairs Committee of Faculty Senate. During the past year, he served as co-chair of the Universal Learning Outcomes Committee, as co-chair of the Chairs’ Council and as the chairs’ representative to Faculty Senate.

In his new role, Rasinariu will work with the Graduate Policy Council, Faculty Senate, school deans, department chairs and graduate faculty to develop the necessary bylaws, policies and practices for a new School of Graduate Studies, to be created by the end of Fall Semester 2016.

“Graduate Studies at Columbia present a tremendous potentiality for growing its existing programs and exploring new directions,” said Rasinariu. “This can be done through common effort, and I am honored to be part of the team that will help focus the positive energies of our faculty, staff, and students into what will become the School of Graduate Studies.”

“We are fortunate to have a pool of talented, hardworking, and creative faculty, which will play a crucial role in this enterprise. It is up to us to welcome and address the challenges ahead, while realizing the opportunities through coherent action based on intentionality. I am looking forward to working with the administration, faculty, staff, and students, to forge a bright future for Columbia’s graduate education,” he added.

As a theoretical physicist and educator, Rasinariu has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and has authored and edited several college textbooks. During his time as chair of Science and Mathematics, the department launched its first two majors, a B.A. in Art and Materials Conservation and a B.S. in Computational & Applied Mathematics.

Rasinariu holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, as well as an M.S. in Physics from West University of Timișoara and an M.S. in Electronics from the Technical University of Timișoara.

Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts and business for 8,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens. For more information, visit www.colum.edu.

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Media Contact: Danielle Wilcox, 312.369.7937, dwilcox@colum.edu

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