Tim Ketelaar, associate dean of the William Conroy Honors College at New Mexico State University, will serve as acting dean for the college effective July 16. Current Honors College Dean Miriam Chaiken is set to retire July 15. (Courtesy photoTim Ketelaar, associate dean of the William Conroy Honors College at New Mexico State University, will serve as acting dean for the college effective July 16.

Current Honors College Dean Miriam Chaiken is set to retire July 15. Ketelaar will continue in the acting dean role until Chaiken’s permanent successor is named, which is expected to take place later this fall.

“We will, of course, continue to face new challenges and opportunities as we approach the coming year, yet I am confident that we are well prepared to continue serving the many talented students and faculty of the Honors College,”Ketelaar said. “During her tenure at NMSU Miriam Chaiken has helped the Honors College grow as a community where excellence meets opportunity. I look forward to carrying that tradition forward into the coming year.”

Ketelaar has been teaching in the Honors College since 2003, and currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and as associate dean of the Honors College, where he is the director of the Office for National Scholarships and International Education.

He said in his new role of acting dean, he hopes to continue to work hard to ensure a safe and smooth transition to the fall semester.

“I believe that my five years as associate dean serving under Dean Chaiken’s excellent leadership in the Honors College will position us to be prepared for the upcoming school year,” Ketelaar said. “I look forward to serving our students and faculty in my role as acting dean as we prepare to welcome a new dean in the near future.”

Ketelaar is a 2009 recipient of the Donald C. Roush Teaching Award for Excellence, and in 2016 was awarded the NMSU Board of Regents Above and Beyond Award for his efforts in improving the institution by focusing on the positive during times of great change.

His research and teaching focuses on the science of human emotion. He received his Ph.D. in personality psychology from the University of Michigan in 1993.

Previously, Ketelaar participated in the 2010-11 cohort of the NMSU Advancing Leaders Training program and has served in several leadership positions in the NMSU Faculty Senate, including as Faculty Senate chair and vice chair. He also served as interim head of the NMSU Department of Criminal Justice from 2015-16.