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Dr. Gary Malecha, professor of political science, to serve as interim dean of College of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences

February 20, 2017

University of Portland president Fr. Mark L. Poorman C.S.C. has announced Dr. Gary Malecha, professor of political science, will serve as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.  

Malecha, who has been at the University of Portland since 1992, has served on numerous committees at the University, most recently leading the University Ad Hoc Committee on Mental Health in 2016. He provided leadership as chair of the Political Science Department for many years, currently serves as the faculty athletics representative to the NCAA, and has served in many more leadership roles throughout his time at UP.  Malecha is an expert in the area of American politics, teaching courses on U.S. Congress, the U.S. Presidency, public policy, and the politics of food.  He was awarded the University’s highest honor for faculty, the James Culligan Award, in 1999.

Malecha has agreed to serve the University in this capacity for one year to allow for a national search for the new dean of CAS, and he has requested that he not be a candidate for the permanent position. The current dean, Michael Andrews, resigned from his position at the University of Portland to accept a position as director of the John Felice Rome Center, a campus of Loyola University Chicago located in Rome, Italy.