Faculty of Science & Engineering Dean Nick Cercone stepping down for health reasons

President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri circulated this announcement to the York community yesterday:

I am writing to inform you that Nick Cercone is stepping down as dean of the Faculty of Science & Engineering, effective July 31, 2009. Dean Cercone is leaving the position for health reasons, and will return to the academy here at York.

The search for a new dean will commence shortly; in the meantime, Prof. Walter Tholen, who currently holds the portfolio of associate dean, faculty affairs, has agreed to serve as interim dean, effective Aug. 1, 2009.

Prof. Tholen is a mathematics and statistics professor who earned his PhD from the University of Munster in 1974 and his "Habilitation" four years later from Fernuniversitat Hagen, Germany.

I would like to thank Dean Cercone for his leadership and hard work as dean of FSE, and I hope you will join me in welcoming Prof. Tholen to his new role at York.