U of L Welcomes New Dean of Fine Arts and University Librarian Zimbabwe-born muralist Dr. Desmond Rochfort assumed the position of dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts in July, taking over for Dr. Ches Skinner, who had presided over the Faculty for the previous 10 years. Rochfort, who was president of the Alberta College of Art & Design in 1999, was most recently head of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. One of Britain's leading public mural artists, Rochfort was trained initially as a painter at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London before graduating with a master's in fine arts from the Royal Academy of Arts in London. He earned his PhD in art history from the Royal College of Art in London.

Also this summer, Edmonton-native Alison Nussbaumer began her term as the new university librarian. This is the fourth educational stop for Nussbaumer, who previously worked at Edmonton's Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) campus, as well as the University of Saskatchewan and most recently, Prince George's University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Nussbaumer is president of the Canadian Association of College and University Libraries, as well as a past-president of both the Library Association of Alberta and the British Columbia Library Association. She achieved her undergraduate and library degrees from the University of Alberta and her master of arts degree from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.