Last modified: Monday, August 4, 2008
Matthew Auer named dean of Hutton Honors College
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 4, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington Provost Karen Hanson announced today that Matthew R. Auer, professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, has been named dean of the Hutton Honors College, pending approval by the IU Board of Trustees.
"The Hutton Honors College is a special community and one that is near to my heart," said Hanson, who served as dean of the Honors College from 2002 until being named Provost in 2007.
"Matt brings a breadth of experience to the position. As the Hutton Honors College moves to a new home on the campus, I know that Matt will fill the space with dynamic energy, innovative ideas, and a vision which will make the college a model for honors education around the country. Our talented honors students will be fortunate to have Matt as a leader and mentor."
Auer will replace Jean Robinson, professor of political science, who has served as interim dean of the Hutton Honors College since September 2007. Robinson will take up the post of associate dean for undergraduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences.
"Jean has done a great job at Honors this past year, and we all have reason to be grateful for that work and the work she will do in her new position," Hanson said.
Auer studied biological anthropology at Harvard, where he graduated magna cum laude. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the oldest exclusively graduate school of international affairs in the United States. He earned a doctoral degree in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University in 1996.
Auer joined the Indiana University faculty in 1996 and has served as director of undergraduate programs for SPEA since 2006. He has received numerous teaching awards, including the President's Award for Teaching Excellence.
He is outgoing editor-in-chief of Policy Sciences, a leading journal in public policy. Auer has published widely in the field of public and environmental policy. He has authored more than 45 refereed articles and book chapters. His research focuses on comparative industrial environmental politics, international forest policy, and the politics of foreign aid.
Auer served as a senior adviser to the U.S. Forest Service for five years, during which time he participated in the United Nations Forum on Forests, negotiated resolutions on economic aspects of forests and forest health, and helped to develop the President's Initiative against Illegal Logging.
The Hutton Honors College recruits diverse, talented and highly-motivated students and offers a range of small, challenging courses along with a variety of extracurricular and service programs. In 2004, the Honors College was named for alumnus and philanthropist Edward L. Hutton, who founded and has funded the International Experiences Program for the college. More recently, Hutton has provided funds for a new building, which is currently under construction at the intersection of Seventh Street and Woodlawn Avenue. The facility is scheduled to be completed in December.
For more information on the Hutton Honors College, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~iubhonor/.
