New Deans Appointed At St. Thomas University

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Mar 03, 2014, 01:59 ET

MIAMI, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Thomas University President Monsignor Franklyn M. Casale recently announced major faculty appointments that will continue to strengthen the University's academic leadership position (www.stu.edu).

Dr. Somnath Bhattacharya has been appointed as Dean of the School of Business. A native of India, Dr. Bhattacharya's academic training has been in the United States. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of South Florida, and an MBA in Management Information Systems from Northern Arizona University. Dr. Bhattacharya is an experienced administrator, having served as Associate Dean and Interim Dean of the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. Bhattacharya's cumulative list of administrative appointments, research, service in higher education, contributions to the formulation of strategic plans, and publications is quite extensive. His c.v. is enclosed. Dr. Bhattacharya's academic contacts in India and his wide reach in global business will be most valuable to the university's academic global advancement plan. His appointment is effective July 10, 2014.

Professor Alfredo Garcia has been appointed once again as the next Dean of the School of Law. He will replace Dean Douglas Ray, who will become a member of the faculty next year. Dean Garcia is an eminent scholar and experienced legal administrator. He is well respected in the legal and South Florida community, with honors and activities that include the highest grade in Advanced Jurisprudence, honors in Legal Research and Writing, and President of the Spanish American and Latin Student Association at the University of Florida College of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree, March 1981.

Dean Garcia was the first Cuban-born Dean of an ABA approved law school. He initiated, coordinated and secured ratification of the school's first five-year strategic plan (2007-12); improved the bar passage rate; and is responsible for the best and most consistent results in the school's history. Managing a budget in excess of $20 million, he launched a successful naming fundraising campaign for the school that garnered national attention (noted in the National Law Journal); developed the Center for Global Justice and Dialogue, a proposed think tank to address issues of global concern; and secured ABA acquiescence for a new LL.M. program in Environmental Sustainability.

Dean Garcia strengthened ties to the bench and bar through active participation in the Florida Supreme Court's Commission on Professionalism and other state and local bar associations. Under his leadership, the Law School ranked third for "Best Environment For Minority Students" and fourth for "Best Quality of Life" (Princeton Review 2011). His areas of instruction, publications, and other accomplishments are listed on the attached. Among his books are : Criminal Law: Concepts and Practice, with Podgor, Henning, and Taslitz (Carolina Press, 3d.ed. 2013); The Sixth Amendment in Modern American Jurisprudence: A Critical Perspective; (Greenwood Press, 1992); and The Fifth Amendment: A Comprehensive and Historical Approach; (Greenwood Press, 2002).

To arrange interviews with the new deans and for further information on St. Thomas University please contact Marivi Prado, Chief Marketing/Communications Officer at [email protected].

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SOURCE St. Thomas University