Chancellor Donald Mash announced Friday that Mark Clark has been chosen to be the new dean of the College of Professional Studies beginning May 1. Clark will replace interim dean Carol Klun.

Since 1996 Clark has been the dean of the College of Education at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla. While Clark has been dean, Northeastern’s School of Education has received accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

There were a number of factors that led to the recommendation of Clark for the position, said Sheila Smith, associate professor of nursing and chair of the Search and Screen Committee for Dean of the College of Professional Studies.

“He has a good record as a scholar and leader in his field,” Smith said, adding that Clark has strong administrative experience and his views match UW-Eau Claire’s mission statement.

Clark’s additional experience in administrative positions include: assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of graduate and summer programs at Adams State College in Colorado from 1992 to 1996, dean in residence at the Council of Graduate Schools in Washington, D.C., from 1990 to 1991 and assistant dean of the graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado from 1986 to 1992.

“Dr. Clark has proven in past administrative positions that he understands professional programs and the importance of a strong liberal arts base for those programs,” Mash said in a news release.

“He is committed to academic excellence, including the promotion of the scholarly and creative activities of faculty and students. We believe this is a very strong appointment and we are enthusiastic about the proven leadership Dr. Clark will bring to the university.”

Clark is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and received his bachelor and master of arts degrees from the University of California-Berkeley. He also earned his Ph.D. from Stanford University, Calif.

Clark has taught at undergraduate and graduate levels in the Colleges of Education and Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Clark has several publications and presentations that focus on minorities in graduate education, black athletes, cross-cultural behavior, fitness and stress management, alternative teacher certification, global and cultural awareness and collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching, according to a news release.

Clark plans to move to Eau Claire this spring.