Sonnema named Interim Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU-Pueblo

Pueblo- Dr. Roy Sonnema, chair of the department of art and professor of art history at Colorado State University-Pueblo, will serve as interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences beginning July 1, according to CSU-Pueblo President Ron Applbaum. Sonnema will be filling in for CHASS Dean Russ Meyer, who earlier in the week accepted the position of interim Provost beginning July 1.

Meyer said Sonnema is well suited for the interim post because of his experience as a chair and the knowledge he has gained through extensive service on campus committees and a two-year term on the CSU System Board of Governors as the faculty representative. As interim dean, Sonnema will oversee a $4 million budget and supervise more than 120 full-time and part-time faculty in eight departments offering 20 different major degree programs and 20 minors.

Provost Barbara Montgomery said Sonnema is respected by the faculty and staff, not only for his scholarly ability, but for his willingness to take on tough assignments, from Faculty Senate positions to the accreditation steering committee.

“The University has greatly benefited from his service,” said Montgomery. “He is thoughtful, committed to the University and its values, and equitable in his treatment of others, qualities which will serve him well in the role of interim dean.”

Before joining the CSU-Pueblo faculty in 2000, Sonnema was a tenured art professor at Georgia Southern University. From 1999-2004, he served as editor of the Southeastern College Art Conference Review. In the community, he serves on the Board of Directors for Rosemount Museum and is a contributing art critic for the Pueblo Chieftain.

Sonnema expects to appoint an interim chair for the art department in the next few weeks.

“I look forward to working with a outstanding team of faculty to address the challenges resulting from this time of administrative transition, “ Sonnema said. “CSU-Pueblo has tremendous potential, and I see this college as being at the heart of its intellectual activity and as offering tremendous opportunities for its students.”

Sonnema earned a bachelor’s degree at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and a master’s degree in art from California State University, Fullerton before obtaining a Ph.D. in art history from the University of California, Berkeley.


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