Robert F. Himmelberg, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as interim dean of the arts and sciences faculty for the 2008-2009 academic year.
Himmelberg’s academic and administrative leadership at Fordham spans nearly five decades, including service as a faculty member and chair of the Department of History, and as a member and president of the faculty senate.
He also served as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; interim dean of the faculty of business and the Graduate School of Business; and interim dean of the arts and sciences faculty.
He has been a force in planning and implementing the transition to a 3-2 course load; in working with academic departments to articulate and develop strategic plans; and in identifying and hiring an outstanding complement of new faculty, said Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., Fordham’s senior vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer.
Himmelberg earned his bachelor’s degree from Rockhurst College, his master’s degree from Creighton University and his doctorate in history from Pennsylvania State University. He has authored and edited numerous books and articles in his field, most recently The Great Depression and the New Deal (Greenwood Press, 2000).