The AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences announced the selection of a new dean Thursday, ending a search that began last fall.Andrew Schoolmaster, the dean of the arts and sciences department at Eastern Kentucky State University, will succeed Mary Volcansek as the department’s second dean since it was reorganized to include only humanities and social sciences. He will formally assume his duties as the new dean on July 16.

A search committee headed by department chair David Grant narrowed down the search to Schoolmaster and Philip G. Cohen of the University of Texas at Arlington. The committee hosted both men during their on-campus visits in the last couple weeks.

Cohen visited campus March 27 to 28, while Schoolmaster visited April 2 to 3.

Grant said Schoolmaster was not only impressive as a leader but as a person with a great sense of humor.

“I’m very excited,” Grant said. “The search committee was impressed with his application from the beginning. I look forward to working with him as the department chair.”

The search came after Volcansek announced last fall she was going to return to the faculty as a political science professor next fall.

Grant also said he received exceptional recommendations from everybody the committee talked to about him.

Schoolmaster has previous experience at North Texas University and the University of Minnesota as well as EKU, where he has been since 2004 as a geography professor. He earned his Ph.D. at Kent State University in 1979.

Schoolmaster, Donovan and Chancellor Victor Boschini were not available to comment by press time.